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THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION i
THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOVERY*
CHAPTER
I. THE 'DISCOVERY* 15
II. SOUTHWARD Ho! 3*
III. IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 52
IV. THE POLAR WINTER 74
V. THE START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY ... 95
VI. THE RETURN 120
VII. A SECOND WINTER 137
VIII. THE WESTERN JOURNEY 151
IX. THE RETURN FROM THE WEST 167
X. RELEASE 178
THE LAST EXPEDITION
PREFACE TO * SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION* . . . 203
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 206
BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, 1910 .... 208
vi CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THROUGH STORMY SEAS 211
II. DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP . . , .231
III. PERILS 254
IV. A HAPPY FAMILY 269
V. WINTER 294
VI. GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS . . . j . . .311
VII. THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 328
VIII. ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 354
IX. THE SPUTH POLE 373
X. ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 385
XL THE LAST MARCH 401
SEARCH PARTY DISCOVERS THE TENT .... 418
IN MEMORIAM ......... 419
FAREWELL LETTERS 421
MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC 430
INDEX 433
INTRODUCTION
BY
SIR J. M. BARRIE, BART.
ON the night of my original meeting with Scott he was
but lately home from his first adventure into the Ant-
arctic and my chief recollection of the occasion is that
having found the entrancing man I was unable to leave
him. In vain he escorted me through the streets of
London to my home, for when he had said good-night
I then escorted him to his, and so it went on I know
not for how long through the small hours. Our talk
was largely a comparison of the life of action (which
he pooh-poohed) with the loathly life of those who sit
at home (which I scorned) ; but I also remember
that he assured me he was of Scots extraction. As
the subject never seems to have been resumed between
us, I afterwards wondered whether I had drawn this
from him with a promise that, if his reply was satis-
factory, I would let him go to bed. However, the
family traditions (they are nothing more) do bring him
from across the border. According to them his great-
great-grandfather was the Scott of Brownhead whose
estates were sequestered after the '45. His dwelling
was razed to the ground and he fled with his wife,
to whom after some grim privations a son was born
in a fisherman's hut on September 14, 1745. This
son eventually settled in Devon, where he prospered,
2 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
for it was in the beautiful house of Oatlands that he
died. He had four sons, all in the Royal Navy, of
whom the eldest had as youngest child John Edward
Scott, father of the Captain Scott who was born at
Oatlands on June 6, 1868. About the same date,
or perhaps a little earlier, it was decided that the boy
should go into the Navy like so many of his for-bears.
I have been asked to write a few pages about those
early days of Scott at Oatlands, so that the boys who
read this book may have some slight acquaintance
with the boy who became Captain Scott; and they
may be relieved to learn (as it holds out some chance
for themselves) that the man who did so many heroic
things does not make his first appearance as a hero.
He enters history aged six, blue-eyed, long-haired, in-
expressibly slight and in velveteen, being held out at
arm's length by a servant and dripping horribly, like a
half-drowned kitten. This is the earliest recollection
of him of a sister, who was too young to join in a chil-
dren's party on that fatal day. But Con, as he was al-
ways called, had intimated to her that from a window
she would be able to see him taking a noble lead in the
festivities in the garden, and she looked; and that is
what she saw. He had been showing his guests how
superbly he could jump the leat, and had fallen into it*
Leat is a Devonshire term for a running stream,
and a branch of the leat ran through the Oatlands
garden while there was another branch, more venture-
some, at the bottom of the fields. These were the
waters first ploughed by Scott, and he invented many
ways of being in them accidentally, it being forbidden
INTRODUCTION 3
to enter them of intent. Thus he taught his sisters
and brother a new version of the oldest probably of
all pastimes, the game of ' Touch. 3 You had to touch
' across the leat/ and, with a little good fortune, one
of you went in. Once you were wet, it did not so
much matter though you got wetter.
An easy way of getting to the leat at the foot of the
fields was to walk there, but by the time he was eight
Scott scorned the easy ways. He invented parents
who sternly forbade all approach to this dangerous
waterway; he turned them into enemies of his country
and of himself (he was now an admiral), and led par-
ties of gallant tars to the stream by ways hitherto un~
thought of. At foot of the avenue was an oak tree
which hung over the road, and thus by dropping from
this tree you got into open country. The tree was
(at this time) of an enormous size, with sufficient room
to conceal a navy, and the navy consisted mainly of
the sisters and the young brother. All had to be
ready at any moment to leap from the tree and join
issue with the enemy on the leat. In the fields there
was also a mighty ocean, called by dull grown-ups ' the
pond/ and here Scott's battleship lay moored. It
seems for some time to have been an English vessel,
but by and by he was impelled, as all boys are, to
blow something up, and he could think of nothing more
splendid for his purpose than the battleship. Thus
did it become promptly a ship of the enemy doing
serious damage to the trade of those parts, and the
valiant Con took to walking about with lips pursed,
brows frowning as he cogitated how to remove the
4 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Terror of Devon. You may picture the sisters and
brother trotting by his side and looking anxiously
into his set face. At last he decided to blow the
accursed thing up with gunpowder. His crew cheered,
and then waited to be sent to the local shop for a
pennyworth of gunpowder. But Con made his own
gunpowder, none of the faithful were ever told how,
and on a great day the train was laid. Con applied
the match and ordered all to stand back. A deafening
explosion was expected, but a mere puff of flame was
all that came; the Terror of Devon, which to the
unimaginative was only a painted plank, still rode the
waters. With many boys this would be the end of
the story, but not with Con. He again retired to
the making of gunpowder, and did not desist from his
endeavours until he had blown that plank sky-high,
His first knife is a great event in the life of a boy;
it is probably the first memory of many of them,
and they are nearly always given it on condition that
they keep it shut. So it was with Con, and a few
minutes after he had sworn that he would not open
it he was begging for permission to use it on a tempting
sapling, * Very well/ his father said grimly > * but
remember, if you hurt yourself, don't expect any
sympathy from me/ The knife was opened, and to
cut himself rather badly proved as easy is falling
into the leat. The father, however, had not noticed,
and the boy put his bleeding hand into his pocket
and walked on unconcernedly. He really con-
skJerably damaged; and thin is a good story of ct child
of seven who all his life iiiffcrec! from
INTRODUCTION 5
the sight of blood; even in the Discovery days, to get
accustomed to * seeing red/ he had to force himself to
watch Dr. Wilson skinning his specimens.
When he was about eight Con passed out of the
hands of a governess, and became a school-boy, first
at a day school in Stoke Damerel and later at Stub-
bington House, Fareham. He rode grandly between
Oatlands and Stoke Damerel on his pony, Beppo,
which bucked in vain when he was on it, but had an
ingratiating way of depositing other riders on the road.
From what one knows of him later this is a character-
istic story. One clay he dismounted to look over a
gate at a view which impressed him (not very boyish
this), and when he recovered from a brown study
there was 110 Beppo to be seen. He walked the seven
miles home, but what was characteristic was that he
called at police-stations on the way to give practical
details of his loss and a description of the pony. Few
children would have thought of this, but Scott was
naturally a strange mixture of the dreamy and the
practical, and never more practical than immediately
after he had been dreamy. He forgot place and time
altogether when thus abstracted. I remember the
first time he dined with me, when a number of well-
known men had come to meet him, he arrived some
two hours late* He had dressed to come out, then
fallen Into one of his reveries, forgotten all about the
engagement, dined by himself and gone early to bed.
Just as he was falling asleep he remembered where he
should be* arose hastily and joined u$ as speedily as
It was equally characteristic of him to say
6 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
of the other guests that it was pleasant to a sailor
to meet so many interesting people. When I said
that to them the sailor was by far the most interesting
person in the room he shouted with mirth. It always
amused Scott to find that anyone thought him a per-
son of importance.
I suppose everyone takes for granted that in his
childhood, as later when he made his great marches,
Scott was muscular and strongly built. This was so
far from being the case that there were many anxious
consultations over him, and the local doctor said he
could not become a sailor as he could never hope
to obtain the necessary number of inches round the
chest. He was delicate and inclined to be pigeon-
breasted. Judging from the portrait of him here
printed, in his first uniform as a naval caclet, all this
had gone by the time he was thirteen, but unfor-
tunately there are no letters of this period extant;
and thus little can be said of his years on the Rritannia
where ' you never felt hot in yottr bunk because you
could always twist, and sleep with your feet out at a
port hole/ He became a caclet captain, a post none
can reach who i not thought well of by the other
boys as well as by their instructors, but none of them
foresaw that he was likely to become anybody In
particular. I le was still * Old Mooney/ as his father
had clubbed him, owing to his dreamy mind; If was
an effort to him to work hard, he cast a wistful eye*
on * slackers/ he was not a j^ood loser, he was untidy
to the point of slovenliness and he* had a fierce temper.
All this f think has been provttd to tw uj> to the
INTRODUCTION 7
hilt, and as I am very sure that the boy of fifteen or
so cannot be very different from the man he grows
into, it leaves me puzzled. The Scott I knew, or
thought I knew, was physically as hard as nails and
flung himself into work or play with a vehemence I
cannot remember ever to have seen equalled. I have
fished with him, played cricket and football with him
and other games, those of his own invention being of
a particularly arduous kind, for they always had a
moment when the other players were privileged to
fling* a hard ball at your undefended head. ( Slack-
ness ' was the last quality you would think of when
you saw him bearing down on you with that ball,
and it was the last he asked of you if you were bearing
down on him. He was equally strenuous of work;
indeed I have no clearer recollection of him than his
way of running from play to work or work to play,
so that there should be the least possible time between.
It is the * time between * that is the * slackens ' king-
dom, and Scott lived less in it than anyone I can recall.
Again, I found him the best of losers, with a shout of
delight for every good stroke by an opponent: what
is called an ideal sportsman. He was very neat and
correct in his dress, quite a model for the youth who
come after him, but that we take as a matter of course;
it is * good form * in the Navy. His temper 1 should
have said was bullet-proof. I have never seen him
begin to loae It for a second of time, and I have seen
him In circumstances where the loss of it would have
excusable*
However, ' the boy makes the man/ and Scott was
8 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
none of those things I saw in him but something better.
The faults of his youth must have lived on in him as in
all of us, but he got to know they were there and he
took an iron grip of them and never let go his hold.
It was this self-control more than anything else that
made the man of him of whom we have all become
so proud. I get many proofs of this in correspondence
dealing with his manhood days which are not strictly
within the sphere of this introductory note. The horror
of "slackness was turned into a very passion for keeping
himself * fit.* Thus we find him at one time taking
charge of a dog, a 'Big Dane/ so that he could race
it all the way between work and home, a distance of
three miles. Even when he was getting the Discovery
ready and doing daily the work of several men, he
might have been seen running through the streets of
London from Savile Row or the Admiralty to his
home, not because there was no time for other methods
of progression, but because he must he fit, fit, fit. No
more 'Old Mooncy ' for him; he kept an eye for
ever on that gentleman, and became doggedly the
most practical of men* And practical In the cheeriest
of ways* In 1894 a disastrous change came over the
fortunes of the family* the father's money being lost*
and then Scott was practical indeed. A letter he wrote
at this time to his mother* tenderly taking everything
and everybody on hh shoulders, must lie one of the
best letters ever written by a son, and 1 hope* It may be
some day published. His mother was the great person
of his early life, more to him even than his brother
INTRODUCTION 9
or his father, whom circumstances had deprived of the
glory of following the sailor's profession and whose
ambitions were all bound up in this son, determined
that Con should do the big things he had not done
himself. For the rest of his life Con became the
head of the family, devoting his time and his means
to them, not in an it-must-be-done manner, but with
joy and even gaiety. He never seems to have shown
a gayer front than when the troubles fell, and at a
farm to which they retired for a time he became
famous as a provider of concerts. Not only must
there be no * Old Mooney ' in him, but it must be
driven out of everyone. His concerts, in which he
took a leading part, became celebrated in the district,
deputations called to beg for another, and once in
these words, * Wull *ee gie we a concert over our way
when the comic young gentleman be here along? '
Some servants having had to go at this period, Scott
conceived the idea that he must even help domestically
in the house, and took his own bedroom under his
charge with results that were satisfactory to the
casual eye, though not to the eyes of his sisters* It
was about this time that he slew the demon of un-
tidiness so far as his own dress was concerned and
doggedly became a model for still younger officers.
Not that his dress was fine. While there were others
to help he would not spend his small means on himself,
and he would arrive home in frayed garments that
he had grown out of and in very tarnished lace. But
as a pin, In the days when he returned from
io THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
his first voyage in the Antarctic and all England was
talking of him, one of his most novel adventures was
at last to go to a first-class tailor and be provided with
a first-class suit. He was as elated by the possession
of this as a child When going about the country
lecturing In those days he travelled third class, though
he was sometimes met at the station by mayors and
corporations and red carpets.
The hot tempers of his youth must still have lain
hidden, but by now the control was complete* Even
in the naval cadet days of which unfortunately there
is so little to tell, his old friends who remember the
tempers remember also the sunny smile that dis-
sipated them. When I knew him the sunny smile
was there frequently, and was indeed his greatest
personal adornment, but the tempers never reached
the surface, He had become master of his fate and
captain of his soul
In 1886 Scott became a middy on the Boadicca*
and later on various ships, one of them the J?c>wn of
which Admiral Fisher was at that time commander.
The Admiral has a recollection of a little black pig
having been found under his bunk one night, lie
cannot swear that Scott was the leading culprit, but
Scott was certainly one of several who had to finish the
night on deck as a punishment* In 1888 Scott paswcd
his examinations for sublieutenant, with four firt
class honours and one second* and m left his boyhood
behind 1 cannot refrain however from adding a* ?4
conclusion to these a letter from Sir Courtatild
INTRODUCTION n
Thomson that gives a very attractive glimpse of him
in this same year :
* In the late winter a quarter of a century ago I
had to find my way from San Francisco to Alaska.
The railway was snowed up and the only transport
available at the moment was an ill-found tramp
steamer. My fellow passengers were mostly Cali-
fornians hurrying off to a new mining camp and,
with the crew, looked a very unpleasant lot of ruffians.
Three singularly unprepossessing Frisco toughs joined
me in my cabin, which was none too large for a single
person. I was then told that yet another had some-
how to be wedged in. While I was wondering if he
could be a more ill-favoured or dirtier specimen of
humanity than the others the last comer suddenly
appeared the jolliest and breeziest English naval
Second Lieutenant. It was Con Scott. I had never
seen him before, but we at once became friends and
remained so till the end. He was going up to join
his ship which, I think, was the Amphion, at
Esquimault, B. C.
*A$ soon as we got outside the Golden Gates we
ran into a full gale which lasted all the way to Victoria,
B, C. The ship was so overcrowded that a large num-
ber of women and children were allowed to sleep on the
floor of the only saloon there was on condition that
they got up early, so that the rest of the passengers
could come in for breakfast and the other meals*
* 1 need scarcely say that owing to the heavy
weather hardly a woman was able to get up* and the
12 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
saloon was soon in an indescribable condition. Practi-
cally no attempt was made to serve meals and the
few so-called stewards were themselves mostly out of
action from drink or sea-sickness.
' Nearly all the male passengers who were able to
be about spent their time drinking and quarrelling.
The deck cargo and some of our top hamper were
washed away and the cabins got their share of the
waves that were washing the deck.
* Then it was I first knew that Con Scott was no
ordinary human being. Though at that time still
only a boy he practically took command of the pas-
sengers and was at once accepted by them as their
Boss during the rest of the trip. With a small body
of volunteers he led an attack on the saloon dressed
the mothers, washed the children, fed the babies,
swabbed clown the floors and nursed the sick, and
performed every imaginable service for all hands. On
deck he settled the quarrels and established order
either by his personality, or, if necessary, by his fists.
Practically by day and night he worked for the com-
mon good, never sparing himself, and with his infec-
tious smile gradually made us all feel the whole thing
was jolly good fun,
1 1 daresay there are still some of the passengers
like myself who, after a quarter of a century, have
imprinted on their minds the vision of this fair-haired
English sailor boy with the laughing blue eyes who
at that early age knew how to sacrifice himself for
the welfare and happiness of others/
THE VOYAGE OF THE 'DISCOV
CHAPTER I
THE DISCOVERY
Do ye, by star-eyed Science led, explore
Each lonely ocean, each untrodden shore.
IN June, 1899, Robert Falcon Scott was spending his
short leave in London, and happened to meet Sir
Clements Markham in the Buckingham Palace Road.
On that afternoon he heard for the first time of a
prospective Antarctic expedition, and on the following
clay he called upon Sir Clements and volunteered to
command it. Of this eventful visit Sir Clements
wrote: 'On June 5, 1899, there was a remarkable
coincidence, Scott was then torpedo lieutenant of
the Majestic, I was just sitting down to write to my
old friend Captain Egerton * about him, when he was
announced. He came to volunteer to command the
expedition. I believed him to be the best man for
so great a trust, either in the navy or out of it. Captain
Egerton^s reply and Scott's testimonials and certifi-
cates most fully confirmed a foregone conclusion/
The tale, however, of the friendship between Sir
* Now Admiral Sir George Egerton, KGB,
15
16 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Clements and Scott began in 1887, when the former
was the guest of his cousin, the Commodore of the
Training Squadron, and made the acquaintance of
every midshipman in the four ships that comprised
it During the years that followed, it is enough to
say that Scott more than justified the hopes of those
who had marked him down as a midshipman of ex-
ceptional promise. Through those years Sir Clements
had been both friendly and observant, until by a
happy stroke of fortune the time came when he was as
anxious for this Antarctic expedition to be led by Scott
as Scott was to lead it. So when, on June 30, 1900,
Scott was promoted to the rank of Commander,
and shortly afterwards was free to undertake the work
that was waiting for him, one great anxiety was re-
moved from the shoulders of the man who had not
only proposed the expedition, but had also resolved
that nothing should prevent it from going.
(treat difficulties and troubles had, however, to
be encountered before the Discovery could .start upon
her voyage. First and foremost was the question of
money, but owing to indefatigable efforts the financial
horizon grew clearer in the early months of 1899,
later on in the same year Mr. Half our expressed hit*
sympathy with the objects of the undertaking, and
it was entirely due to him that the Government
eventually agreed to contribute 45*000, provided
that a similar sum could be raised by private sub-
scriptions.
In March, 1900, the keel of the new that the
THE DISCOVERY 17
special Ship Committee had decided to build for the
expedition, was laid in the yard of the Dundee Ship-
building Company. A definite beginning, at any rate,
had been made; but very soon after Scott had taken
up his duties he found that unless he could obtain
some control over the various committees and sub-
committees of the expedition, the only day to fix
for the sailing of the ship was Doomsday. A visit
to Norway, where he received many practical sugges-
tions from Dr. Nansen, was followed by a journey to
Berlin, and there he discovered that the German ex-
pedition, which was to sail from Europe at the same
time as his own, was already in an advanced state
of preparation. Considerably alarmed, he hurried
back to England and found, as he had expected, that
all the arrangements, which were in full swing in Ger-
many, were almost at a standstill in England. The
construction of the ship was the only work that was
progressing, and even in this there were many interrup-
tions from the want of some one to give immediate
decisions on points of detail.
A remedy for this state of chaos had to be
discovered, and on November 4, 1900, the Joint
Committee of the Royal Society and the Royal
Geographical Society passed a resolution, which left
Scott practically with a free hand to push on the work
In every department, tinder a given estimate of ex-
penditure in each. To safeguard the interests of the
two Societies the resolution provided that this expend*
should be supervised by a Finance Committee,
i8 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
and to this Committee unqualified gratitude was
due. Difficulties were still to crop up, and as there
were many scientific interests to be served, differences
of opinion on points of detail naturally arose, but as
far as the Finance Committee was concerned, it is mere
justice to record that no sooner was it formed than its
members began to work ungrudgingly to promote the
success of the undertaking.
In the meantime Scott's first task was to collect,
as far as possible, the various members of the expedi-
tion. Before he had left the Majestic he had written,
* I cannot gather what is the intention as regards the
crew; is it hoped to be able to embody them from the
R.N. ? I sincerely trust so/ In fact he had set
his heart on obtaining a naval crew, partly because
he thought that their sense of discipline would be
invaluable, but also because he doubted his ability to
deal with any other class of men,
The Admiralty, however, was reluctant to grant
a concession that Scott considered so necessary, and
this reluctance arose not from any coldness towards
the enterprise, but from questions of principle and
precedent. At first the Admiralty assistance in this
respect was limited to two officers, Scott himself and
Royds, then the 1 limit was extended to include Skclton
the engineer, a carpenter and a boatswain, and thus
at least a small naval nucleus was obtained. But It
was not until the spring of r<xn that the Admiralty,
thanks to Sir Anthony [tanking ami Sir Archibald
Douglas* gave in altogether, and a& the selection of
THE DISCOVERY; 19
the most fitting volunteers had not yet been made,
the chosen men did not join until the expedition was
almost on the point of sailing.
For many reasons Scott was obliged to make his
own headquarters in London, and the room that had
been placed at his disposal in Burlington House soon
became a museum of curiosities. Sledges, ski, fur
clothing and boots were crowded into every corner,
while tables and shelves were littered with corre-
spondence and samples of tinned foods. And in the
midst of this medley he worked steadily on, sometimes
elated by the hope that all was going well, sometimes
depressed by the thought that the expedition could
not possibly be ready to start at the required
date.
During these busy months of preparation he had
the satisfaction of knowing that the first lieutenant,
the chief engineer and the carpenter were in Dundee,
and able to look into the numerous small difficulties
that arose in connection with the building of the ship.
Other important posts in the expedition had also been
filled up, and 1 expeditionary work was being carried
on in many places. Some men were working on their
especial subjects in the British Museum, others were
preparing themselves at the Physical Laboratory at
Kew, and others, again, were travelling in various
directions both at home and abroad. Of all these
affairs the central office was obliged to take notice, and
so for its occupants idle moments were few and very
far between, Nansen said once that the hardest work
20 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
of a Polar voyage came in its preparation, and during
the years 1900-1, Scott found ample cause to agree
with him. But in spite of conflicting interests, which
at times threatened to wreck the well-being of the
expedition, work, having been properly organised,
went steadily forward; until on March 21, 1901, the
new vessel was launched at Dundee and named the
Discovery by Lady Markham.
In the choice of a name it was generally agreed
that the best plan was to revive some time-honoured
title, and that few names were more distinguished
than ' Discovery/ She was the sixth of that name,
and inherited a long record of honourable ami for-
tunate service.
The Discovery had been nothing more than a
skeleton when it was decided that she should be
loaded with her freight in London; consequently,
after she had undergone her trials, she was brought
round from Dundee, and on June 3, 1901, was berthed
in the Fast India Docks, There, during the follow-
ing weeks, all the stores were gathered together, and
there the vessel, which was destined to be the home
of the expedition for more than three years, wa
laden*
Speaking at the Geographical Congress at Berlin
in 1899, Nansen strongly recommended a of
the Pram type with fuller lines for South Polar work,
but the special Ship Committee, appointed to consider
the question of a for this expedition* had very
sound reasons for not following his advice* Nansen**
THE DISCOVERY 21
celebrated Fram was built for the specific object of
remaining safely in the North Polar pack, in spite of
the terrible pressures which were to be expected in
such a vast extent of ice. This object was achieved
in the simplest manner by inclining the sides of the
vessel until her shape resembled a saucer, and lateral
pressure merely tended to raise her above the surface.
Simple as this design was, it fulfilled so well the re-
quirements of the situation that its conception was
without doubt a stroke of genius. What, however, has
been generally forgotten is that the safety of the Fram
was secured at the expense of her sea-worthiness and
powers of ice-penetration.
Since the Fram was built there have been two dis-
tinct types of Polar vessels, the one founded on the
idea of passive security in the ice, the other the old
English whaler type designed to sail the high seas
and push her way through the looser ice-packs. And
a brief consideration of southern conditions will show
which of these types is more serviceable for Antarctic
exploration, because it is obvious that the exploring
ship must first of all be prepared to navigate the
most stormy seas in the world, and then be ready to
force her way through the ice-floes to the mysteries
beyond.
By the general consent of those who witnessed her
perf ormances, the old Discovery (the fifth of her name)
of 1875 was the best ship that had ever been employed
on Arctic service, and the Ship Committee eventually
decided that the new vessel should be built on more
22 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
or less the same lines. The new Discovery had the
honour to be the first vessel ever built for scientific
exploration, and the decision to adopt well-tried
English lines for her was more than justified by her
excellent qualities.
The greatest strength lay in her bows, and when
ice-floes had to be rammed the knowledge that the
keel at the fore-end of the ship gradually grew thicker,
until it rose in the enormous mass of solid wood which
constituted the stem, was most comforting. No
single tree could provide the wood for such a stem,
but the several trees used were cunningly scarfed
to provide the equivalent of a solid block. In further
preparation for the battle with ice-floes, the stem
itself and the bow for three or four feet on cither side
were protected with numerous steel plates, so that
when the ship returned to civilisation not a scratch
remained to show the hard knocks received by
the bow.
The shape of the stem was also a very import ant
consideration, In the outline drawing of the Discovery
will be seen liow largely the stein overhangs and this
was carried to a greater extent than in any former
Polar vessel The object with which this WM fitted
was often fulfilled during the voyage* Many a time
on charging a large ice-floe the stem of the ship glided
upwards until the bows were raised two or three feet*
then the weight of the ship acting downwards would
crack the flew beneath, the bow would drop, and gradu-
ally the ship would forge ahead to tiutHlt* against the
THE DISCOVERY 23
next obstruction. Nothing but a wooden structure
has the elasticity and strength to thrust its way with-
out injury through the thick Polar ice.
In Dundee the building of the Discovery aroused
the keenest interest, and the peculiar shape of her
overhanging stern, an entirely new feature in this
class of vessel, gave rise to the strongest criticism.
All sorts of misfortunes were predicted, but events
proved that this overhanging rounded form of stern
was infinitely superior for ice-work to the old form
of stern, because it gave better protection to the
rudder, rudder post and screw, and was more satis-
factory in heavy seas.
Both in the building and in the subsequent work
of the Discovery the deck-house, marked on the draw-
ing * Magnetic Observatory/ was an important place.
For the best of reasons it was important that the mag-
netic observations taken on the expedition should be as
accurate as possible, and it will be readily understood
that magnetic observations cannot be taken in a place
closely surrounded by iron. The ardour of the mag-
netic experts on the Ship Committee had led them at
first to ask that there should be neither iron nor steel
in the vessel, but after it had been pointed out that
this could scarcely be, a compromise was arrived
at and it was agreed that no magnetic materials
should be employed within thirty feet of the obser-
vatory* This decision caused immense trouble and
expense^ but in the end it was justified, for the magnetic
observations taken on board throughout the voyage
i
o
c
as
m
>4
e
e-
THE DISCOVERY 25
required very little correction. And if the demands
of the magnetic experts were a little exacting, some
amusement was also derived from them. At one time
those who lived within the circle were threatened
with the necessity of shaving with brass razors; and
when the ship was on her way home from New Zealand
a parrot fell into dire disgrace, not because it was too
talkative, but because it had been hanging on the
mess-deck during a whole set of observations, and the
wires of its cage were made of iron.
The Discovery was, in Scott's opinion, the finest
vessel ever built for exploring purposes, and he was
as enthusiastic about his officers and men as he was
about the ship herself.
The senior of the ten officers who messed with
Scott In the small wardroom of the Discovery was
Lieutenant A, B. Armitage, R.N.R. He brought
with him not only an excellent practical seamanship
training in sailing ships, but also valuable Polar
experience; for the P. and CX Company, in which he
held a position, had in 1894 granted him leave of
absence to join the Jackson- Harmsworth Expedition to
Franz- Josef Land.
Reginald Koettlitz, the senior doctor, had also
seen Arctic service in the Jackson-Harmsworth Ex-
pedition. As his medical duties were expected to
be light, he combined them with those of official
botanist.
The task of Thomas V. Hodgson, biologist, was
to collect by hook or crook all the strange beasts
26 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
that inhabit the Polar seas, and no greater enthusiast
for his work could have been chosen.
Charles W. R. Royds was the first lieutenant, and
had all to do with the work of the men and the internal
economy of the ship in the way that is customary
with a first lieutenant of a man-of-war. Throughout
the voyage he acted as meteorologist, and in face
of great difficulties he secured the most valuable
records.
Michael Barne, the second naval lieutenant, had
served with Scott in the Majestic. * 1 had thought
him/ Scott wrote after the expedition had returned,
' as he proved to be, especially fitted for a voyage
where there were many elements of clangers and
difficulty/
The original idea in appointing two doctors to the
Discovery was that one of them should be available for
a detached landing-party. This idea was practically
abandoned, but the expedition had reason to lie
thankful that it ever existed, for the second doctor
appointee! was Edward A- Wilson. In view of the
glorious friendship which arose between them, and
which in the end was destined to make history, it is
of inestimable value to be able to quote what is
believed to be Scott's first written opinion of Wilson,
In a letter headed ' At sea, Sept. 27,* he saicl s ' 1
now come to the man who will clo great things Home
day Wilson, He has quite the keenest intellect on
board and a marvellous capacity for work. You
know lib artistic talent, but would tie surprised at
THE DISCOVERY 27
the speed at which he paints, and the indefatigable
manner in which he is always at it. He has fallen
at once into ship-life, helps with any job that may
be in hand ... in fact is an excellent fellow all
round/
Wilson, in addition to his medical duties, was also
vertebrate zoologist and artist to the expedition. In
the first capacity he dealt scientifically with the birds
and seals, and in the second he produced a very large
number of excellent pictures and sketches of the wild
scenes among which he was living.
One of Scott's earliest acts on behalf of the ex-
pedition was to apply for the services of Reginald
W, Skelton as chief engineer. At the time Skelton
was senior engineer of the Majestic, and his appoint-
ment to the Discovery was most fortunate in every
way. From first to last there was no serious diffi-
culty with the machinery or with anything connected
with it
The geologist, Hartley T. Ferrar, only joined the
expedition a short time before the Discovery sailed,
and the physicist, Louis Bernacchi, did not join until
the ship reached New Zealand*
In addition there were two officers who did not
serve throughout the whole term, Owing to ill-health
Ernest H, Shackleton was obliged to return from the
Antarctic In 1903, and his place was taken by George
K A. Mulock, who was a sub-lieutenant in the Navy
when he joined.
Apart from Koettlitz, who was forty, and Hodgson,
28 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
who was thirty-seven, the average age of the remaining
members of the wardroom mess was just over twenty-
four years, and at that time Scott had little doubt
as to the value of youth for Polar service. Very
naturally, however, this opinion was less pronounced
as the years went by, and on August 6, 1911, he
wrote during his last expedition: 'We (Wilson and
I) both conclude that it is the younger people who
have the worst time . . . Wilson (39) says he never
felt cold less than he does now; I suppose that
between 30 and 40 is the best all-round age. Bowers
is a wonder of course. He is 29. When past the
forties ' it is encouraging to remember that Peary
was 52 ! J
The fact that these officers lived in complete
harmony for three years was proof enough that they
were well and wisely chosen, and Scott was equally
happy in his selection of warrant officers, petty officers
and men, who brought with them the sense of naval
discipline that is very necessary for such conditions
as exist in Polar service. The Discovery, it must
be remembered, was not in Government employment,
and so had no more stringent regulations to enforce
discipline than those contained in the Merchant
Shipping Act, But everyone on board lived exactly
as though the ship wan under the Naval Discipline
Act; and as the men must have known that thin
state of affairs was a fiction, they deserved as much
credit as the officers if not more, for continuing
rigorously to observe it*
THE DISCOVERY 29
Something remains to be said about the Discovery's
prospective course, and of the instructions given to
Captain Scott.
For purposes of reference Sir Clements Markham
had suggested that the Antarctic area should be divided
into four quadrants, to be named respectively the
Victoria, the Ross, the Weddell, and the Enderby, and
when he also proposed that the Ross quadrant should
be the one chosen for this expedition, his proposal
was received with such unanimous approval that
long before the Discovery was built her prospective
course had been finally decided. In fact every branch
of science saw a greater chance of success in the Ross
quadrant than in any other region. Concerning
instructions on such a voyage as the Discovery's it may
be thought that, when once the direction is settled,
the fewer there are the better. Provided, however,
that they leave the greatest possible freedom to the
commander, they may be very useful in giving him a
general view of the situation, and in stating the order
in which the various objects are held. If scientific
interests clash, it is clearly to the commander's
advantage to know in what light these interests are
regarded by those responsible for the enterprise.
Of such a nature were the instructions Scott received
before sailing for the South,
During the time of preparation many busy men gave
most valuable assistance to the expedition; but
even with all this kindly aid it is doubtful if the
would ever have started had it not been
30 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
that among these helpers was one who, from the first,
had given his whole and undivided attention to the
work in hand. After all is said and done Sir Clem-
ents Markham conceived the idea of this Antarctic
Expedition, and it was his masterful personality which
swept aside all obstacles and obstructions.
CHAPTER II
SOUTHWARD HO!
They saw the cables loosened, they saw the gangways cleared,
They heard the women weeping, they heard the men who cheered.
Far off far off the tumult faded and died away,
And all alone the sea wind came singing up the Bay. NEWBOLT,
ON July 31, 1901, the Discovery left the London Docks,
and slowly wended her way clown the Thames; and at
Cowes, on August 5, she was honoured by a visit from
King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. This visit
must be ever memorable for the interest their Majesties
showed in the minutest details of equipment; but at
the same time it was natural for the members of the ex-
pedition to be obsessed by the fear that they might
start with a flourish of trumpets and return with failure.
The grim possibilities of the voyage were also not to be
forgotten a voyage to the Antarctic, the very map of
which had remained practically unaltered from 1843-93,
With no previous Polar experience to help him,
Scott was following on the track of great Polar ex-
plorers, notably of James Cook and James Ross, of
whom it has been well said that the one defined the
Antarctic region and the other discovered it. Can
it be wondered therefore that his great anxieties were
31
32 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
to be off and doing, to justify the existence of the ex-
pedition at the earliest possible moment, and to obey
the Instructions which had been given him?
Before the Discovery had crossed the Bay of Biscay
it was evident that she did not possess a turn of speed
under any conditions, and that there must be none
but absolutely necessary delays on the voyage, if she
was to arrive in the Antarctic in time to take full
advantage of the southern summer of 1901-2 for the
first exploration in the ice. This proved a serious
drawback, as it had been confidently expected that
there would be ample time to make trial of various
devices for sounding and dredging in the deep sea,
while still in a temperate climate. The fact that no
trials could be made on the outward voyage was
severely felt when the Antarctic was reached.
On October 2 the Discovery arrived within 150 miles
of the Cape, and on the 5th was moored off the naval
station at Simon's Hay. The main object of staying*
at the Cape was to obtain comparisons with the mag-
netic instruments, but Scott wrote; * It is much In
be deplored that no permanent Magnetic Station now
exists at the Cape* The fact increased the number
and difficulty of ottr own observations, and it wan
quite impossible to spare the time for such repetitions
and verifications as, under the circumstance*, could
alone have placed them beyond dispute/ Artnitage
and Barnc, however, worked like Trojans In taking
observations, and received so much valuable astffot-
Aincc that * they were able to accomplish a maximum
SOUTHWARD HO! 33
amount of work in the limited time at their disposal'
In every way, indeed, the kindliest sympathy was
shown at the Cape.
The magnetic work was completed on October 12,
and two days later the Discovery once more put out
to sea; and as time went on those on board became
more and more satisfied with her seaworthy qualities.
Towards the end of October there was a succession
of heavy following gales, but she rose like a cork to
the mountainous seas that followed in her wake,
and, considering her size, she was wonderfully free of
water on the upper deck. With a heavy following sea,
however, she was, owing to her buoyancy, extremely
lively, and rolls of more than 40 were often recorded.
The peculiar shape of the stern, to which reference
has been made, was now well tested. It gave addi-
tional buoyancy to the after-end, causing the ship to
rise more quickly to the seas, but the same lifting
effect was also directed to throwing the ship off her
course, and consequently she was difficult to steer.
The helmsmen gradually became more expert, but on
one occasion when Scott and some other officers were
on the bridge the ship swerved round, and was imme-
diately swept by a monstrous sea which made a clean
breach over her. Instinctively those on the bridge
clutched the rails, and for several moments they were
completely submerged while the spray dashed as high
as the upper topsails*
On November 12 the Discowry was in lat 51 S
long* 131 E and had arrived in such an extremely
34 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
interesting magnetic area that they steered to the
south to explore it. This new course took them far
out of the track of ships and towards the regions
of ice, and they had scarcely arrived in those lonely
waters when Scott was aroused from sleep by a loud
knocking and a voice shouting, * Ship's afire, sir.'
Without waiting to give any details of this alarming
news the informant fled, and when Scott appeared
hastily on the scenes he found that the deck was
very dark and obstructed by numerous half-clad
people, all of whom were as ignorant as he was. Mak-
ing his way forward he discovered that the fire had
been under the forecastle, and had been easily ex-
tinguished when the hose was brought to bear on it.
In these days steel ships and electric light tend in lessen
the fear of fire, but in a wooden vessel the possible
consequences are too serious not to make the danger
very real and alarming. 'Henceforth the risk of fire
was constantly in Scott's thoughts, but thus was the
first and last occasion on which an alarm was rained
in the Discovery,
On November 15 the 60th parallel was passed,
and during the following morning small pieces of
sea-ice, worn into fantastic shape by the action oC tlu*
waves, appeared and were greeted with much excite-
ment and enthusiast!!. As the afternoon advanced
signs of a heavier pack were seen ahead, and soon
the loose floes were all about the ship, and she was
pushing her way amongst them and receiving her
i&ptism of 5cc\
SOUTHWARD HO! 35
This was Scott's first experience of pack-ice, and
he has recorded how deeply he was impressed by the
novelty of his surroundings. * The wind had died
away; what light remained was reflected in a ghostly
glimmer from the white surface of the pack; now
and again a white snow petrel flitted through the
gloom, the grinding of the floes against the ship's
side was mingled with the more subdued hush of their
rise and fall on the long swell, and for the first time
we felt something of the solemnity of these great
Southern solitudes/
The Discovery was now within 200 miles of Adelie
Land, and with steam could easily have pushed on
towards it But delays had already been excessive,
and they could not be added to if New Zealand was
to be reached betimes. Reluctantly the ship's head
was again turned towards the North, and soon passed
into looser ice.
One great feature of the tempestuous seas of
these southern oceans is the quantity and variety
of their bird life, Not only are these roaming, tire-
less birds to be seen in the distance, but in the majority
of cases they are attracted by a ship and for hours
gather close about her. The greater number are
of the petrel tribe, and vary in size from the greater
albatrosses, with their huge spread of wing and un-
wavering flight, to the small Wilson stormy petrel,
which flits under the foaming crests of the waves.
For centuries these birds have been the friends of
sailors, and as Wilson was able to distinguish and
36 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
name the various visitors to the Discovery, the interest
of the voyage was very greatly increased
' At ii A.M. on the 22nd/ Scott wrote in his official
report of the Proceedings of the expedition, * we
sighted Macquarie Island, exactly at the time and
in the direction expected, a satisfactory fact after so
long an absence from land. As the island promised
so much of interest to our naturalists I thought a
delay of the few hours necessary for landing would
be amply justified, ... A landing was effected
without much difficulty, and two penguin rookeries
which had been observed from the ship were explored
with much interest. One proved to be inhabited by the
beautifully marked King penguin, while the other con-
tained a smaller gold-crested broad-billed species, . .
At 8 P.M. the party returned to the ship, and shortly
after we weighed anchor and proceeded Including
those collected in the ice, we had no fewer than 50
birds of various sorts to be skinned, and during the next
few days several officers and men were busily engaged
in this work under the superintendence of Dr, Wilson.
The opportunity was taken of serving out the flesh
of the penguins for food, 1 had anticipated consider-
able prejudice on the part of the men to this form of
diet which it will so often be essential to enforce*
and was agreeably surprised to find that they were by
no means averse to it, Many pronounced it excellent,
and all seemed to appreciate the necessity of cultivating
a taste for it, I found no prejudice more difficult to
conquer than my own* 1
SOUTHWARD HO! 37
Perhaps the most excited member of the party over
this visit to Macquarie Island was Scott's Aberdeen
terrier * Scamp/ who was most comically divided
between a desire to run away from the penguins,
and a feeling that in such strange company it behooved
him to be very courageous. This, however, was
Scamp's first and last experience of penguins, for it
was felt that he would be unable to live in the Ant-
arctic, and so a comfortable home was found for him
in New Zealand.
Late on November 29 the Discovery arrived off
Lyttelton Heads, and on the following day she was
berthed alongside a jetty in the harbour. For both
the private and the public kindness which was shown
to the expedition in New Zealand, no expressions of
gratitude can be too warm. On every possible occa-
sion, and in every possible way, efficient and kindly
assistance was given, and this was all the more valuable
because a lot of work had to be done before the ship
could sail from Lyttelton. The rigging had to be
thoroughly overhauled and refitted; the magneticians
had to undertake the comparison of their delicate
instruments, and as this was the last occasion on which
it could be done special attention was necessary; and
a large quantity of stores had to be shipped, because
some of those in the Discovery had been damaged by
the leaky state of the ship. This leak had never been
dangerous, but all the same it had entailed many
weary hours of pumping, and had caused much waste
of time and of provisions* Among the many skilled
38 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
workmen, whose united labour had produced the solid
structure of the Discovery's hull, had been one who had
shirked his task, and although the ship was docked
and most determined and persistent efforts were made
to find the leak, it succeeded in avoiding detection.
As the month of December advanced the scene on
the ship was a very busy one, but at last the day for
sailing from Lyttelton arrived, though not for the
filial departure from civilisation, because a short visit
was to be paid to Port Chalmers in the south to com-
plete the stock of coal On Saturday, December 21,
the ship lay alongside the wharf ready for sea and very
deeply laden* * One could reflect that it would have
been impossible to have got more into her, and that all
we had got seemed necessary for the voyage* for the
rest we could only trust that Providence would vouch-
safe to us fine weather and an easy passage to the south,*
New Zealand, to the last, was bent on showing
its enthusiasm for the expedition. Two men-of-war
steamed slowly out ahead of the /)isctwery> while
no fewer than five steamers, crowded with passengers,
and with hands playing and whistles hooting* also
accompanied her, until the open sea was reached
and the /Jwowry slowly steamed out between the*
war-ships that seemed to stand as sentinel* to the hay,
And then, before the cheers of thtm&uuta of friends
were* hardly out of the ears of those on hoard, a trag*
ecly happened Among the* ship"* company who twl
crowded into the to wave their farewell*
was one young named Charles Bonnet, who.
SOUTHWARD HO! 39
more venturesome than the rest, had climbed above
the crow's-nest to the top of the main-mast. There,
seated on the truck, he had remained cheering, until
in a moment of madness he raised himself into a
standing position, and almost directly afterwards he
fell and was instantaneously killed. On the Monday
the ship arrived at Port Chalmers, and Bonner was
buried with naval honours.
By noon on the following day the Discovery was
clear of the harbour bar, and was soon bowling along
under steam and sail towards the south. The last
view of civilisation, the last sight of fields and flowers
had come and gone on Christmas Eve, 1901, and
Christmas Day found the ship in the open expanse of
the Southern Ocean, though after such a recent parting
from so many kind friends no one felt inclined for
the customary festivities.
In good sea trim the Discovery had little to fear
from the worst gales, but at this time she was so
heavily laden that had she encountered heavy seas
the consequences must have been very unpleasant.
Inevitably much of her large deck cargo must have
been lost; the masses of wood on the superstructure
would have been In great danger, while all the sheep
and possibly many of the dogs would have been
drowned, Fine weather, however, continued, and
on January 3 Scott and his companions crossed the
Antarctic Circle, little thinking how long a time would
elapse before they would recross it. At length they
had entered the Antarctic regions; before them lay
40 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the scene of their work, and all the trials of preparation,
and the anxiety of delays, were forgotten in the fact
that they had reached their goal in time to make use
of the best part of the short open season in these ice-
bound regions.
Soon the pack was on all sides of them, but as yet
so loose that there were many large pools of open
water. And then for several days the ship had really
to fight her way, and Scott gave high praise to the way
she behaved : * The " Discovery " is a perfect gem in
the pack. Her size and weight behind such a stem
seem to give quite the best combination possible for
such a purpose. We have certainly tried her thor-
oughly, for the pack which we have come through
couldn't have been looked at by Ross even with a gale
of wind behind him/
Necessarily progress became slow, but life abounds
in the pack, and the birds that came to visit the ship
were a source of perpetual interest. The plcasantest
and most constant of these visitors was the stttall
snow petrel, with its dainty snow-white plumage
relieved only by black beak and feet, and black* beady
eye. These little birds abound in the packice, but
the blue-grey southern fulmar and the Antarctic petrel
were also to be seen, and that unwholesome scavenger,
the giant petrel, frequently lumbered by; while the
skua gull, tnont pugnacious of bullies, occasionally
flapped past, on his way to make some less formidable
bird disgorge his hard-earned dinner,
The squeak of the penguin constantly heart!, at
SOUTHWARD HO! 41
first afar and often long before the birds were seen.
Curiosity drew them to the ship, and as she forced her
way onward these little visitors would again and
again leap into the water, and journey from floe to
floe in their eagerness to discover what this strange
apparition could be. Some of the sailors became very
expert in imitating their calls, and could not only at-
tract them from a long distance, but would visibly add
to their astonishment when they approached. These
were busy days for the penguins.
In all parts of the pack seals are plentiful and
spend long hours asleep on the floes. The commonest
kind is the crab-eater or white seal, but the Ross seal
is not rare, and there and there is found the sea-leopard,
ranging wide and preying on the penguins and even on
the young of its less powerful brethren. It is curious
to observe that both seals and penguins regard them-
selves as safe when out of the water. In the sea they
are running risks all the time, and in that element
Nature has made them swift to prey or to avoid being
preyed upon. But once on ice or land they have
known no enemy, and cannot therefore conceive one.
The seal merely raises its head when anyone approaches,
and then with but little fear; whereas it is often difficult
to drive the penguin into the water, for he is firmly
convinced that the sea is the sole source of danger.
Several seals were killed for food, and from the first
seakneat was found palatable, if' not altogether the
form of diet to recommend to an epicure* The great
drawback to the seal is that there is no fat except blub-
42 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
ber, and blubber has a very strong taste and most pene-
trating smell. At this time blubber was an abomina-
tion to every one both in taste and smell, and if the
smallest scrap happened to have been cooked with the
meat, dinner was a wasted meal. Later on, however,
this smell lost most of its terrors, while seal-steaks and
seal-liver and kidneys were treated almost as luxuries.
On the morning of January 8 a strong water sky
could be seen, and soon afterwards the officer of
the watch hailed from aloft the glad tidings of an
open sea to the south. Presently the ship entered a
belt where the ice lay in comparatively small pieces,
and after pushing her way through this for over a
mile, she reached the hard line where the ice abruptly
ended, and to the south nothing but a clear sky could
be seen. At 10,30 P.M. on the same evening the joy
of being again in the open sea was intensified by a
shout of *Lancl in sight/ and all who were not 00
deck quickly gathered there to take their first look
at the Antarctic Continent. The sun, near the south-
ern horizon, still shone in a cloudless sky, and far
away to the south-west the blue outline of the high
mountain peaks of Victoria Land could be seen. The
course was now directed for Robertson Bay, and after
some difficulty, owing* to the reappearance of loose
streams of pack-ice, the ship was eventually steered
into the open water within the bay*
Robertson Bay is formed by the long peninsula of
Cape Adare, within which, standing but slightly
above the level of the sea* Is a curious triangular
SOUTHWARD HO! 43
spit, probably the morainic remains of the vaster
ice conditions of former ages. It was on this spit
that the expedition sent forth by Sir George Newnes
and commanded by Borchgrevink spent their winter
in 1896, the first party to winter on the shores of
the Antarctic Continent. Here Scott decided to land
for a short time, and very soon Armitage, Bernacchi
and Barne were at work among the thousands of pen-
guins that abounded, while the naturalists wandered
further afield in search of specimens. In the centre
of Cape Adare beach the hut used by the members
of Borchgrevink's party was still found to be standing
in very good condition, though at the best of times
deserted dwellings are far from cheerful to contem-
plate* Bernacchi had been a member of this small
party of eight, and on the spot he recalled the past,
and told of the unhappy death of Hanson one of his
comrades.
Later on Bernacchi and some others landed again to
visit Hanson's grave, and to see that all was well with
it- They took a tin cylinder containing the latest
report of the voyage with them, and were told to place
it in some conspicuous part of the hut. In the follow-
ing year this cylinder was found by the Morning* and
so the first information was given that the Discovery
had succeeded in reaching these southern regions,
On January 10, when the weather was still calm
and bright, the ship again stood out to sea, and was
steered close around Cape Adare in the hope of finding
* The relief ship.
44 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
a clear channel near at hand. Very soon, however,
the tidal stream began to make from the south, and
the whole aspect of the streams of heavy pack-ice
rapidly changed. Almost immediately the pack was
about the ship, and she was being rapidly borne along
with it. Across the entrance to the bay was a chain
of grounded icebergs, and it was in this direction
that she was being carried. For the first time they
faced the dangers of the pack, and realised its mighty
powers. Little or nothing could be done, for the
floes around them were heavier than anything they
had yet encountered. Twist and turn as they would
no appreciable advance could be made, and in front:
of one colossal floe the ship was brought to a stand-
still for nearly half an hour. But they still battled
on; Armitage remained aloft, working the ship with
admirable patience; the engine-room, as usual, an-
swered nobly to the call for more steam, and the Dis-
covery exerted all her powers in the struggle; but, in
spite of these efforts, progress was so slow that it
looked almost certain that she would be carried clown
among the bergs. * It was one of those hours/ Scott
says, * which impress themselves for ever on the mem-
ory* Above us the sun shone in a cloudless sky f its
rays were reflected from a myriad points of the glisten-
ing pack; behind us lay the lofty snow~clac! mountains,
the brown sunkised cliffs of the Cape, and the placid
glassy waters of the bay; the air about u wan almottt
breathlessly still; crisp, clear and sun-lit, it wanted
an atmosphere in which all Nature should rejoice;
SOUTHWARD HO! 45
the silence was broken only by the deep panting of
our engines and the slow, measured hush of the grind-
ing floes; yet, beneath all, ran this mighty, relentless
tide, bearing us on to possible destruction. It seemed
desperately unreal that danger could exist in the midst
of so fair a scene, and as one paced to and fro on the
few feet of throbbing plank that constituted our
bridge, it was difficult to persuade oneself that we were
so completely impotent.'
With the exception of Scott himself only those
who were actually on watch were on deck during this
precarious time, for the hour was early, and the ma-
jority were asleep in their bunks below, happily
oblivious of the possible dangers before them. And
the fact, that they were not aroused is a proof that a
fuss was rarely made in the Discovery, if it could by
any conceivable means be avoided.
At last, however, release came from this grave
danger, and it came so gradually that it was difficult
to say when it happened. Little by little the tidal
stream slackened, the close-locked floes fell slightly
apart, and under her full head of steam the ship began
to forge ahead towards the open sea and safety. * For
me/ Scott acids, * the lesson had been a sharp and, I
have no doubt, a salutary one; we were here to fight
the elements with their icy weapons, and once and for
all this taught me not to undervalue the enemy/
During 1 the forenoon the ship was within seven or
eight miles of the high bold coast-line to the south of
Cape Adare, but later she had to be turned outwards
46 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
so that the heavy stream of pack-ice drifting along the
land could be avoided. By the morning of the nth
she was well clear of the land, but the various paks
and headlands which Sir James Ross had named
could be distinctly seen, and gave every one plenty to
talk and think about. Progress, however, was slow,
owing to a brisk S. E. wind and the fact that only one
boiler was being used.
Of all economies practised on board the most
important was that of coal, but Scott was not at all
sure that this decision to use only one boiler was
really economical Certainly coal was saved but time
was also wasted, and against an adverse wind the
Discovery could only make fifty-five miles on the i ilh,
and on the I2th she scarcely made any headway at
all, for the wind had increased and a heavy swell was
coming up from the south.
To gain shelter Scott decided to turn m towards
the high cliffs of Coulman Island, the land of which
looked illusively near as they approached it. So
strong was this deception that the engines were caused
when the ship was still nearly two miles away from
the cliffs. Later on, in their winter quarters and
during their sledge journeys, they got to know how
easy it was to be deluded as regards distance, and what
very false appearances distant objects could assume,
This matter is of interest, because it shows that Polar
explorers must be exceedingly cautious in believing
the evidence of their own eyes* ami it also explain*
the errors which the Discovery expedition found la
SOUTHWARD HO! 47
have been made by former explorers, and which they
knew must have been made in all good faith.
During the night of the I3th the ship lay under
the shelter of Coulman Island, but by the morning the
wind had increased to such a furious gale, and the
squalls swept down over the cliffs with such terrific
violence, that in spite of every effort to keep her in
her station she began to lose ground. In the afternoon
the wind force was ninety miles an hour, and as they
continued to lose ground they got into a more choppy
sea, which sent the spray over them in showers, to
freeze as it fell
Again the situation was far from pleasant; to
avoid one berg they were forced to go about, and in
doing so they ran foul of another. As they came down
on it the bowsprit just swept clear of its pinnacled
sides, and they took the shock broad on their bows.
It sent the ship reeling round, but luckily on the right
tack to avoid further complications. The following
night was dismal enough; again and again small
bergs appeared through the blinding spray and drift,
and only with great difficulty could the unmanageable
ship be brought to clear them. Even gales, however,
must have an end, and towards morning the wind
moderated, and once more they were able to steam up
close to the island And there, between two tongues
of Ice off Cape Wad worth, they landed on the steep
rocks and erected a staff bearing a tin cylinder with a
further record of the voyage. By the time this had
been done the wind had fallen completely! and in
48 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the evening the ship entered a long inlet between
Cape Jones and the barrier-ice, and later turned out
of this into a smaller inlet in the barrier-ice itself.
She was now in a very well-sheltered spot, and night,
as often happened in the Antarctic regions, was turned
into clay so that several seals could be killed, * It
seemed a terrible desecration/ Scott says, ' to come
to this quiet spot only to murder its innocent inhabi-
tants, and stain the white snow with blood/ But there
was the best of all excuses, namely necessity, for this
massacre, because there was no guarantee that seals
would be found near the spot in which the ship win-
tered, and undoubtedly the wisest plan was to make
sure of necessary food.
While the seal carcases and some ice for the boilers
were being obtained, Scott turned in to get sonic rest
before putting out to sea again, and on returning
to the deck at 7*30 he was tolcl that the work was
completed, but that some five hours before Wilson,
Ferrar, Cross and Weller had got adrift of a floe, and
that no one had thought of picking them up. Although
the sun had been shining brightly all night, the tem-
perature had been down to iB f and afar off Scott could
see four disconsolate figures tramping about, and try*
ing to keep themselves warm on a detached flexs not
more than fifteen yards across,
When at length the wanderers scrambled over the
side it was very evident that they had a grievance,
and not until they hail been wanned by hot cocoa
could they talk with of their experiences. They
SOUTHWARD HO! 49
had been obliged to keep constantly on the move,
and when they thought of smoking to relieve the
monotony they found that they had pipes and to-
bacco, but no matches. While, however, they were dis-
mally bemoaning this unfortunate state of affairs
Wilson, who did not smoke, came to the rescue and
succeeded in producing fire with a small pocket mag-
nifying glass a performance which testified not only
to Wilson's resource, but also to the power of the sun
in these latitudes.
On the 1 7th the ship hacl to stand out farther and
farther from the land to clear the pack, and when on
the 1 8th she arrived in the entrance to Wood Bay
it was also found to be heavily packed, Away to the
N. and N.W. the sharp peaks of Monteagle and Mur-
chison, among bewildering clusters of lesser summits,
coulcl be seen; across the bay rose the magnificent
bare cliff of Cape Sibbald, while to the S.W. the eye
lingered pleasantly upon the uniform outline of Mount
Melbourne. This fine mountain rears an almost per-
fect volcanic cone to a height of 9,000 feet, and with
no competing height to take from its grandeur, it
constitutes the most magnificent landmark oti the
coast. Cape Washington, a bold, sharp headland,
projects from the foot of the mountain on its eastern
side, and finding such heavy pack in Wood Bay, Scott
decided to turn to the south to pass around this cape*
From this point the voyage promised to be increas-
ingly Interesting, since the coast to the south of Cape
Washington was practically unknown* Pack-ice was
50 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
still a formidable obstacle, but on the aoth the Dis-
covery pushed her way into an inlet where she met ice
which had been formed inside and but recently broken
up. The ice was perfectly smooth, and as it showed
absolutely no sign of pressure there was no doubting
that this inlet would make a secure wintering harbour.
Already a latitude had been reached in which it was
most desirable to find safe winter quarters for the ship.
In England many people had thought that Wood
Bay would be the most southerly spot where security
was likely to be found, but Scott had seen enough
of the coast-line to the south of that place to realise
the impossibility of travelling* along it in sledges,
and to convince him that if any advance to the south
was to be made, a harbour in some higher latitude
must be found.
This inlet was afterwards named Granite Harbour,
and so snug and secure a spot wan it to winter in that
Scott expressed his thankfulness that he did not yield
to its allurements, * Surrounded as we should have
been by steep and lofty hills, we could have obtained
only the most local records of climatic conditions,
and our meteorological observations would have Insen
comparatively valueless; but the greatest drawback
would have* been that we should be completely cut off
from travelling over the sea-ice beyond the mouth of
our harbour , . , It H when one rattembcfjH how
naturally a decision to return to this place might have
been made, that one sees hmv easily the results of the
expedition might have tu?en missed/
SOUTHWARD HO! 51
It was, however, consoling at the time to know
that, in default of a better place, a safe spot had been
found for wintering, so with Granite Harbour in re-
serve the ship again took up her battle with the ice;
and on the 2ist she was in the middle of McMurdo
Sound, and creeping very slowly through the pack-ice,
which appeared from the crow's-nest to extend in-
definitely ahead. They were now within a few miles
of the spot where they ultimately took up their winter
quarters, but nearly three weeks were to pass before
they returned there. f At 8 P.M. on the 2ist/ Scott
says, ' we thought we knew as much of this region as
our heavy expenditure of coal in the pack-ice would
justify us in finding out, and as before us lay the great
unsolved problem of the barrier and of what lay
beyond it, we turned our course with the cry of
Eastward ho ! '
CHAPTER III
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS
Beholde T see the haven near at hand
To which 1 mean my \vearie course to bend;
Vcrc the main sheet and bear up to the land
To which afore is fairly to be ken'd
Faerie Quefnt.
IN their journey from Cape Washington to the south
something 1 had already been done to justify the des-
patch of the expedition, A coast-Hue which hitherto
had been seen only at a great distance, and reported
so indefinitely that doubts were left with regard to
its continuity, had been resolved into a concrete
chain of mountains; and the positions and forms of
individual heights, with the curious ice formations
and the general line of the coast, had been observed.
In short the map of the Antarctic had already received
valuable additions, and whatever was to happen in
the future that, at any rate, was all to the good.
At 8 P.M on the aand the ship arrived off the bare
land to the westward of Cape Crosier, where it was
proposed to erect a post and leave a cylinder con-
taining an account of their doings, so that fht* chain
of records might be completed. After a landing had
*
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 53
been made with some difficulty, a spot was chosen
in the centre of the penguin rookery on a small cliff
overlooking the sea, and here the post was set up
and anchored with numerous boulders. In spite of
every effort to mark the place, at a few hundred
yards it was almost impossible to distinguish it; but
although this small post on the side of a vast mountain
looked a hopeless clue, it eventually brought the
Morning into McMurdo Sound.
While Bernacchi and Barne set up their magnetic
instruments and began the chilly task of taking
observations, the others set off in twos and threes
to climb the hillside. Scott", Roycls and Wilson
scrambled on until at last they reached the summit of
the highest of the adjacent volcanic cones, and were
rewarded by a first view of the Great Ice Barrier. 1
* Perhaps/ Scott says, * of all the problems which
lay before us in the south we were most keenly in-
terested in solving the mysteries of this great ice-
mass, , . . For sixty years it had been discussed and
rediscussed, and many a theory had been built on
the slender foundation of fact which alone the meagre
information concerning it could afford. Now for
the first time this extraordinary ice-formation was
seen from above. . * It was an impressive sight and
the very vastness of what lay at our feet seemed to
add to our sense of its mystery.'
Early on the 23rd they started to steam along the
* The immense sheet of Ice, over 400 miles wide and of still
greater length*
54 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
ice- face of the barrier; and in order that nothing
should be missed it was arranged that the ship should
continue to skirt close to the ice-cliff, that the officers
of the watch should repeatedly observe and record its
height, and that three times in the twenty- four hours
the ship should be stopped and a sounding taken. In
this manner a comparatively accurate survey of the
northern limit of the barrier was made.
On steaming along the barrier it was found that
although they were far more eager to gain new in-
formation than to prove that old information was in-
correct, a very strong case soon began to arise against
the Parry Mountains, which Ross had described us
* probably higher than we have yet seen " ; and later
on it was known with absolute certainty that these
mountains did not exist. This error on the part of
such a trustworthy and cautious observer, Scott
ascribes to the fact that Ross, having exaggerated
the height of the harrier, was led to suppose that
anything seen over it at a, distance must be of great
altitude* * But,* he adds* * whatever the cause, the
facts show again how deceptive appearances may be
and how easily errors may arise* In fact, ,%s I have
said before, one cannot always afford to trust the
evidence of one's own eyes/ Though the ship was
steaming along this ice- wall for several clays, the* pin*
sage was not in the least monotonous, iieeatw* now
variations were continually showing thetnselvi% awl
all of them had to be carefully observed and rmifclfil
This work continued for several days until* on January
29* they arrived at a particularly Interesting plans tct
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 55
the southward and eastward of the extreme position
reached by Ross in 1842. From that position he had
reported a strong appearance of land to the southeast,
and consequently all eyes were directed over the icy
cliffs in that direction. But although the afternoon was
bright and clear, nothing from below or from aloft
could be seen, and the only conclusion to be made was
that the report was based on yet another optical illusion.
But in spite of the disappointment at being unable
to report that Ross's ' appearance of land 9 rested on
solid foundations, there was on the afternoon of the
29th an indescribable sense of impending change. * We
all felt that the plot was thickening, and we could not
fail to be inspirited by the fact that we had not so far
encountered the heavy pack-ice which Ross reported in
this region, and that consequently we were now sailing
in an open sea into an unknown world/
The course lay well to the northward of east, and
the change came at 8 P.M. when suddenly the ice-cliff
turned to the east, and becoming more and more ir-
regular continued in that direction for about five miles,
when again it turned sharply to the north* Into
the deep bay thus formed they ran, and as the ice
was approached they saw at once that it was unlike
anything yet seen. The ice-foot descended to various
heights of ten or twenty feet above the water, and
behind it the snow surface rose in long undulating
slopes to rounded ridges, the heights of which could
only be guessed- Whatever doubt remained in their
minds that this was snow-covered land, a sounding of
100 fathoms quickly removed it
56 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
But what a land! On the swelling mounds of snow
above them there was not one break, not a feature to
give definition to the hazy outline. No scene could
have been more perfectly devised to produce optical
illusions. And then* while there was so much to ob-
serve, a thick fog descended, and blotted out all hope
of seeing what lay beyond the ice-foot. During the
afternoon of January 30 the fog was less < lease, but
still no sign of bare land could be seen, and it was not
until the bell had sounded for the evening meal that
two or three little black patches, which at first were
mistaken for detached cloud, appeared. f We gazed
idly enough at them till someone remarked that he did
not believe they were clouds; then all glasses were
kvelled; assertions and contradictions were numerous,
until the small black patches gradually assumed more
and more definite shape, and all agreed that at last we
were looking at real live rock, the actual .substance of
our newly discovered land, ... It is curious to re-
flect now on the steps which led us to the discovery of
King Kd ward's Land, and the chain of evidence which
came to us before the actual land itself was seen: at
first there had been the shallow soundings, and tin*
sight of gently rising Know-slopes, of which, in the
nature of things, one is obliged to retain a doubt; then
the steeper broken slopes of snow, giving a contrast
to convey a surer evidence to tin* eye; anct finally*
the indubitable land itself, but even then *ur rounded
with such mystery as to leave us far from
satisfaction with our discovery/
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 57
The temptation to push farther and farther to the
east was almost irresistible, but with the young ice
forming rapidly around them, Scott, on February i,
decided to return, and on their way back along the
barrier they experienced much lower temperatures than
on the outward journey. During the return journey
they landed on the barrier, and on February 4 prepara-
tions for a balloon ascent were made. * The honour/
Scott says, * of being the first aeronaut to make an
ascent in the Antarctic Regions, perhaps somewhat
selfishly, I chose for myself, and I may further confess
that in so doing I was contemplating the first ascent I
had made in any region, and as I swayed about in
what appeared a very inadequate basket and gazed
down on the rapidly diminishing figures below, I felt
some doubt as to whether I had been wise in my choice/
If, however, this ascent was not altogether enjoyed
by the aeronaut, it, at any rate, gave him considerable
information about the barrier surface towards the
south; and, to his surprise, he discovered that instead
of the continuous level plain that he had expected, it
continued in a series of long undulations running
approximately east and west, or parallel to the barrier
surface. Later on, however, when the sledge-party
taken out by Armitage returned, they reported that
these undulations were not gradual as had been
supposed from the balloon, but that the crest of each
wave was flattened into a long plateau, from which
the descent into the succeeding valley was compara-
tively sharp. On the evening of the 4th they put out
5 8 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
to sea again, and on the 8th they were once more in
McMurdo Sound, with high hopes that they would
soon find a sheltered nook in which the Discovery
could winter safely, and from which the sledge-parties
could set forth upon the task of exploring the vast new
world around them.
Without any delay they set out to examine their
immediate surroundings, and found a little bay which
promised so well for the winter that Scott's determina-
tion to remain in this region was at once strengthened.
The situation, however, was surrounded with difficul-
ties, for although the ice had broken far afield it re-
fused to move out of the small bay on which they had
looked with such eager eyes; consequently they were
forced to cling to the outskirts of the bay with their
ice-anchors, in depths that were too great to allow
the large anchors to be dropped to the bottom, The
weather also was troublesome, for after the ship had
lain quietly during several hours a sudden squall xvotild
fling her back on her securing ropes, and, uprooting
the ice-anchors, would ultimately send her adrift.
In spite, however, of the difficulty of keeping the
ship an position* steady progress was made with the
work on shore, and this consisted mainly in erecting
the "various huts which had been bn night in pieces*
The original intention had been that the Discovery
should not winter in the Antarctic, but should kncl a
small party and turn northward before the
closed, and for this party a large hist had teen carried
south, But even when it had been decided to keep the
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 59
ship as a home, it was obvious that a shelter on shore
must be made before exploring parties could be safely
sent away; since until the ship was frozen in a heavy
gale might have driven her off her station for several
days, if not altogether. In seeking winter quarters so
early in February, Scott had been firmly convinced
that the season was closing in, ' With no experience to
guide us, our opinion could only be based on the very
severe and unseasonable conditions which we had met
with to the east. But now to our astonishment we could
see no sign of a speedy freezing of the bay; the sum-
mer seemed to have taken a new lease, and for several
weeks the fast sea-ice continued to break silently and
to pass quietly away to the north in large floes/
In addition to the erection of the main hut, two
small huts which had been brought for the magnetic
instruments had to be put together. The parts of
these were, of course, numbered, but the wood was so
baclly warped that Dailcy, the carpenter, had to use
a lot of persuasion before the joints would fit
On February 14 Scott wrote in his diary: * We have
landed all the dogs, and their kennels are ranged over
the hillside below the huts. . . , It is surprising what
a number of things have to be clone, and what an
unconscionable time it takes to do them. The hut-
building is slow work, and much of our time has been
taken in securing the ship* . , . Names have been
given to the various landmarks in our vicinity. The
end of our peninsula is to be called ** Cape Armitage,"
after our excellent navigator. The sharp hill above it
60 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
is to be "Observation Hill." . . - Next comes the
" Gap/' through which we can cross the peninsula at a
comparatively low level. North of the " Gap " are
" Crater Heights/' and the higher volcanic peak beyond
is to be " Crater Hill "; it is 1,050 feet in height Our
protecting promontory is to be " Hut Point/' with
"Arrival Bay "on the north and" Winter Quarter Bay"
on the south; above " Arrival Bay " are the " Arrival
Heights/' which continue with breaks for about three
miles to a long snow-slope, beyond which rises the most
conspicuous landmark on our peninsula, a high, prc-
cipitous-siclecl rock with a flat top, which has been
dubbed "Castle Rock"; it is 1,350 feet in height.
* In spite of the persistent wind, away up the bay
it is possible to get some shelter, and here we take our
ski exercise, . * . Skelton is by far the best of the
officers, though possibly some of the men run hint
close/
On the 19th the first small reconnoitring sledge
party went out, and on their return three days later
they were so excited by their experiences that some
time passed before they could answer the questions put
to them* Although the temperature had not been
severe they had nearly got into serious trouble by
continuing their inarch in a .snowstorm* and when
they clicl stop to camp they were HO exhausted that
frost-bites were innumerable. Tin* tent fine! been
difficult to get up, and all sort* of trouble with the
novel cooking apparatus had followed. * It w Mtnutge
now/ Scott wrote three years* later* * to look back on
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 61
these first essays at sledging, and to see how terribly
hampered we were by want of experience/
By February 26 the main hut was practically
finished, and as a quantity of provisions and oil,
with fifteen tons of coal, had been landed, the ship
could be left without anxiety, and arrangements
for the trip, which Scott hoped to lead himself, were
pushed forward. The object of this journey was to
try and reach the record at Cape Crozier over the
barrier, and to leave a fresh communication there
with details of the winter quarters. On the following
day, however, Scott damaged his right knee while
skiing, and had to give up all idea of going to Cape
Crozier, * I already foresaw how much there was to
be learnt if we were to do good sledging work in the
spring, and to miss such an opportunity of gaining
experience was terribly trying; however, there was
nothing to be done but to nurse my wounded linib
and to determine that never again would I be so rash
as to run hard snow-slopes on ski/
By March 4 the preparation of the sledge party
was completed. The party consisted of four officers,
Royds, Koettlitz, Skelton and Barne, and eight men,
and was divided into two teams, each pulling a single
sleclge and each assisted by four dogs. But again the
want of experience was badly felt, and in every respect
the lack of system was apparent. Though each
requirement might have been remembered, all were
packed in a confused mass! and, to use a sailors ex-
pression, * everything 1 was on top and nothing handy/
62 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Once more Scott comments upon this lack of ex-
perience : e On looking back I am only astonished that
we bought that experience so cheaply, for clearly there
were the elements of catastrophe as well as of dis-
comfort in the disorganised condition in which our
first sledge parties left the ship/
The days following the departure of the sledge
party were exceptionally fine, but on Tuesday,
March n, those on board the ship woke to find the
wind blowing from the east; and in the afternoon the
wind increased, and the air was filled with thick driv-
ing snow. This Tuesday was destined to be one of the
blackest days spent by the expedition in the Antarctic,
but no suspicion that anything untoward had hap-
pened to the sledge party arose until, at 8.30 P.M., there
was a report that four men were walking towards the
ship. Then the sense of trouble was immediate, and
the first disjointed sentences of the newcomers were
enough to prove that disasters had occurred. The
men, as they emerged from their thick clothing, were
seen to be Wild, Weller, Heald and Plumley, but until
Scott had called Wild, who was the most composed of
the party, aside, he could not get any idea of what had
actually happened, and even Wild was too exhausted
and excited to give anything but a meagre account.
Scott, however, did manage to discover that a party
of nine, in charge of Barne, had been sent back, and
early in the day had reached the crest of the hills
somewhere by Castle Rock. In addition. Wild tolcl
him, to the four who had returned, the party had
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 63
consisted of Barne, Quartley, Evans, Hare and Vince.
They had thought that they were quite close to the
ship, and when the blizzard began they had left their
tents and walked towards her supposed position. Then
they found themselves on a steep slope and tried to
keep close together, but it was impossible to see any-
thing. Suddenly Hare had disappeared, and a few
minutes after Evans went. Barne and Quartley had
left them to try to find out what had become of Evans,
and neither of them had come back, though they
waited. Afterwards they had gone on, and had
suddenly found themselves at the edge of a precipice
with the sea below ; Vince had shot past over the edge.
Wild feared all the others must be lost; he was sure
Vince had gone. Could he guide a search party to the
scene of the accident? He thought he could at any
rate he would like to try.
The information was little enough but it was some-
thing on which to act, and though the first disastrous
news had not been brought until 8.30 P,M the relieving
party had left the ship before 9 P.M. Owing to his
knee Scott could not accompany the party, and
Armitage took charge of it.
Subsequently the actual story of the original sledge
party was known, and the steps that led to the disaster
cottlcl be traced. On their outward journey they had
soon come to very soft snow, and after three days of
excessive labour Royds had decided that the only
chance of making progress was to use snow-shoes;
but unfortunately there were only three pairs of ski
64 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
with the party, and Royds resolved to push on to Cape
Crozier with Koettlitz and Skelton, and to send the
remainder back in charge of Barne.
The separation took place on the Qth, and on the
nth the returning party, having found an easier route
than on their way out, were abreast of Castle Rock.
Scarcely, however, had they gained the top of the ridge
about half a mile south-west of Castle Rock, when a
blizzard came on and the tents were hastily pitched.
'We afterwards weathered many a gale/ Scott
says, ' in our staunch little tents, whilst their canvas
sides flapped thunderously hour after hour. . . . But
to this party the experience was new; they expected
each gust that swept down on them would bear the
tents bodily away, and meanwhile the chill air crept
through their leather boots and ill-considered cloth-
ing, and continually some frost-bitten limb had to be
nursed back to life/
At ordinary times hot tea or cocoa would have
revived their spirits, but now the cooking apparatus
was out of order, and taking everything into considera-
tion it was small wonder that they resolved to make for
the ship, which they believed to be only a mile or so
distant
' Before leaving/ Barne wrote in his report, * I im-
pressed on the men, as strongly as I could, the import-
ance of keeping together, as it was impossible to dis-
tinguish any object at a greater distance than ten
yards on account of the drifting snow/ But after
they had struggled a very short distance, Hare, who
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 65
had been at the rear of the party, was reported to
be missing, and soon afterwards Evans * stepped back
on a patch of bare smooth ice, fell, and shot out of
sight immediately.'
Then Barne, having cautioned his men to remain
where they were, sat down and deliberately started to
slide in Evans's track. In a moment the slope grew
steeper, and he was going at such a pace that all power
to check himself had gone. In the mad rush he had
time to wonder vaguely what would come next, and
then his flight was arrested, and he stood up to find
Evans within a few feet of him. They had scarcely
exchanged greetings when the figure of Quartley came
hurtling down upon them from the gloom, for he had
started on the same track, and had been swept down
in the same breathless and alarming manner. To
return by the way they had come down was impossible,
and so they decided to descend, but within four paces
of the spot at which they had been brought to rest,
they found that the slope ended suddenly in a steep
precipice, beyond which nothing but clouds of snow
could be seen. For some time after this they sat hud-
dled together, forlornly hoping that the blinding drift
would cease, but at last they felt that whatever hap-
pened they must keep on the move, and groping their
way to the right they realised that the sea was at their
feet, and that they had been saved from it by a patch
of snow almost on the cornice of the cliff. Presently
a short break in the storm enabled them to see Castle
Rock above their heads, and slowly making their way
66 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
up the incline, they sought the shelter of a huge
boulder; and there, crouched together, they remained
for several hours.
Meanwhile the party had remained in obedience
to orders at the head of the slope, and had shouted
again and again in the lulls of the whirling storm.
But after waiting for a long time they felt that some-
thing was amiss, and that it was hopeless to remain
where they were. 'As usual on such occasions/
Scott says, ' the leading spirit came to the fore, and
the five who now remained submitted themselves to
the guidance of Wild, and followed him in single file
as he again struck out in the direction in which they
supposed the ship to lie.' In this manner they de-
scended for about 500 yards, until Wild suddenly saw
the precipice beneath his feet, and far below, through
the wreathing snow, the sea. He sprang back with a
cry of warning, but in an instant Vince had flashed
past and disappeared.
Then, horror-stricken and dazecl, they vaguely
realised that at all costs they must ascend the slope
down which they had just come. All of them spoke
afterwards of that ascent with horror, and wondered
how it had ever been made. They could only hold
themselves by the soles of their boots, and to slip
to their knees meant inevitably to slide backwards
towards the certain fate below. Literally their livevS
depended on each foothold. Wild alone had a few
light nails in his boots, and to his great credit he used
this advantage to give a helping hand in turn to each
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 67
of his companions. When, after desperate exertions,
they did reach the top of the slope their troubles were
not finished, for they were still ignorant of the posi-
tion of the ship. Wild, however, again took the lead,
and it was largely due to him that the party eventually
saw the ship looming through the whirl of snow. ' It
is little wonder that after such an experience they
should have been, as I have mentioned, both excited
and tired/
The hours following the departure of Armitage
and his search party on this fatal night were unforget-
table. Scott, hatefully conscious of his inability to
help on account of his injured leg, admits that he
could not think of any further means to render assist-
ance, but he says, as was always my experience in
the Discovery, my companions were never wanting
in resource/ Soon the shrill screams of the siren were
echoing among the hills, and in ten minutes after the
suggestion had been made, a whaler was swinging
alongside ready to search the cliffs on the chance of
finding Vince.
But for Scott and those who had to wait inactively
on board there was nothing to do but stand and peer
through the driving snow, and fully three hours passed
before there was a hail from without, and Ferrar
appeared leading three of the lost Barne, Evans
and Qttartley. An hour later the main search party
returned, having done all that men could do in such
weather, A more complete search was impossible,
but it had to be admitted that the chance of seeing
68 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Hare or Vince again was very small. Sadly it had
to be realised that two men were almost certainly lost,
but there was also no disguising the fact that a far
greater tragedy might have happened. Indeed, it
seemed miraculous that any of the party were alive
to tell the tale, and had not Barne, Evans and Quartley
heard the faint shrieks of the siren, and in response
to its welcome sound made one more effort to save
themselves, the sledge party would in all probability
not have found them. All three of them were badly
frost-bitten, and one of Barne's hands was in such a
serious condition that for many days it was thought
that his fingers would have to be amputated.
The end of this story, however, is not yet told, for
on March 13 Scott wrote in his diary: ( A very ex-
traordinary thing has happened. At 10 A.M. a figure
was seen descending the hillside. At first we thought
it must be some one who had been for an early walk;
but it was very soon seen that the figure was walking
weakly, and, immediately after, the men who were
working in the hut were seen streaming out towards it,
In a minute or two we recognised the figure as that of
young Hare, and in less than five he was on board,
. . . We soon discovered that though exhausted, weak,
and hungry, he was in full possession of his faculties
and quite free from frost-bites. He went placidly off
to sleep whilst objecting to the inadequacy of a milk
diet/
Later on Hare, who like Vince had been wearing
fur boots, explained that he had left his companions
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 69
to return to the sledges and get some leather boots,
and had imagined that the others understood what
he intended to do. Soon after he had started back
he was wandering backwards and forwards, and knew
that he was walking aimlessly to and fro. The last
thing he remembered was making for a patch of rock
where he hoped to find shelter, and there he must have
lain in the snow for thirty-six hours, though he re-
quired a lot of persuasion before he could be convinced
of this. When he awoke he found himself covered
with snow, but on raising himself he recognised Crater
Hill and other landmarks, and realised exactly where
the ship lay. Then he started towards her, but until
his intense stiffness wore off he was obliged to travel
upon his hands and knees.
But though Hare was safe, Vince was undoubtedly
gone. ' Finally and sadly we had to resign ourselves
to the loss of our shipmate, and the thought was
grievous to all. ... Life was a bright thing to him,
and it is something to think that death must have
come quickly in the grip of that icy sea/
This fatal mishap naturally caused increased anxiety
about the three men who had gone on, and anxiety
was not diminished when, on the ipth, Skelton was
seen coming down the hill alone. The others, how-
ever, were close behind him, and all three of them
were soon safely on board.
On the i$th Royds had been compelled to abandon
the attempt to reach the record at Cape Crozier, but
he did not turn back until it was evident that a better
70 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
equipped party with more favourable weather would
easily get to it. On comparing notes with his party,
Scott recognised what a difference there might be in
the weather conditions of places within easy reach
of the ship, and not only in temperature but also in
the force and direction of the wind. It had not
occurred to anyone that within such a short distance
of the ship any large difference of temperature was
probable, and as the summer was barely over, Royds,
Koettlitz and Skelton had only taken a light wolf-
skin fur suit for night-wear. This, however, had"
proved totally inadequate when the thermometer fell
to 42, and on the night of the i6th uncontrollaWe
paroxysms of shivering had prevented them from get-
ting any sleep. The value of proper clothing and the
wisdom of being prepared for the unexpected rigours
of such a fickle climate, were two of the lessons learnt
from the experiences of the Cape Crozier party.
As the days of March went by Scott began really
to wonder whether the sea ever intended to freeze
over satisfactorily, and at such an advanced date there
were many drawbacks in this unexpected state of
affairs. Until the ship was frozen in, the security
of their position was very doubtful; economy of
coal had long since necessitated the extinction of fires
in the boilers, and if a heavy gale drove the ship from
her shelter, steam could only be raised with difficulty
and after the lapse of many hours. There was, too,
the possibility that the ship, if once driven off, would
not be able to return, and so it was obviously unsafe
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 71
to send a large party away from her, because if she
went adrift most of them would be needed.
Another annoying circumstance was that until they
had a solid sheet of ice around them they could neither
set up the meteorological screen, nor, in short, carry
out any of the routine scientific work which was such
an important object of the expedition.
At this time Scott was eager to make one more
sledging effort before the winter set in. The ostensible
reason was to lay out a depot of provisions to the south
in preparation for the spring, but a more serious
purpose was to give himself and those who had not
been away already a practical insight into the difficult-
ties of sledge travelling. But as this party would have
to include the majority of those on board, he was
forced to wait until the ship was firmly fixed, and it
may be said that the Discovery was as reluctant to
freeze-in as she was difficult to get out when once the
process had been completed.
On March 28, however, Scott was able to write in
his diary : ' The sea is at last frozen over, and if this
weather lasts the ice should become firm enough
to withstand future gales. We have completed the
packing of our sledges, though I cannot say I am
pleased with their appearance; the packing is not
neat enough, and we haven't got anything like a
system/
Three days later a party of twelve, divided into two
teams, each with a string of sledges and nine dogs,
made a start. Their loads were arranged on the theory
72 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
of 200 Ibs. to each man, and 100 Ibs. to each dog, but
they very quickly discovered that the dogs were not
going to have anything to do with such a theory as
this. The best of them would only pull about 50 Ibs.,
and some of the others had practically to be pulled.
Later on Scott learned that it was a bad plan to
combine men and dogs on a sledge, because the dogs
have their own pace and manner of pulling, and neither
of these is adapted to the unequal movement caused by
the swing of marching men. And on this occasion
another reason for the inefficiency of the dogs was that
they were losing their coats, and had but little pro-
tection against the bitterly cold wind. ' As a matter
of fact, our poor dogs suffered a great deal from their
poorly clothed condition during the next week or two,
and we could do little to help them; but Nature
seemed to realise the mistake, and came quickly to the
rescue: the new coats grew surprisingly fast, and be-
fore the winter had really settled down on us all the
animals were again enveloped in their normally thick
woolly covering.
The refusal of the dogs to work on this trip meant
that the men had to do far more than their share, and
from the first they had no chance of carrying out their
intentions. Each hour, however, was an invaluable
experience, and when a return was made to the ship
Scott was left with much food for thought. ' In one
way or another each journey had been a failure; we
had little or nothing to show for our labours. The
errors were patent; food, clothing, everything* was
IN SEARCH OF WINTER QUARTERS 73
wrong, the whole system was bad. It was clear that
there would have to be a thorough reorganisation be-
fore the spring, and it was well to think that before
us lay a long winter in which this might be effected/
But in a sense even these failures were successful,
for every one resolved to profit by the mistakes that
had been made and the experience that had been
gained, and the successful sledge journeys subsequently
made in the spring were largely due to the failures of
the autumn.
CHAPTER IV
THE POLAR WINTER
The cold ice slept below,
Above the cold sky shone,
And all around
With a chilling" sound
From caves of ice and fields of snow
The breath of night like death did flow
Beneath the sinking moon. SHELLEY.
THE sun was due to depart before the end of April,
and so no time could be wasted if the outside work,
which had been delayed by the tardy formation of
the ice-sheet, was to be completed before the daylight
vanished.
One of the most urgent operations was to get up
the meteorological screen, which had been made under
the superintendence of Royds. The whole of this
rather elaborate erection was placed about 100 yards
astern of the ship, and consequently in a direction
which, with the prevalent south-easterly winds, would
be to windward of her. To obtain a complete record
of meteorological observations was one of the most im-
portant scientific objects of the expedition, and it was
decided that the instruments should be read and
recorded every two hours. Consequently in calm or
74
THE POLAR WINTER 75
storm some member of the community had to be on the
alert, and every other hour to make the rounds of the
various instruments. On a fine night this was no great
hardship, but in stormy weather the task was not
coveted by anyone. On such occasions it was necessary
to be prepared to resist the wind and snowdrift, and the
round itself was often full of exasperating annoyances.
In fact the trials and tribulations of the meteorological
observers were numerous, and it was arranged that
throughout the winter each officer should take it in turn
to make the night observations from 10 P.M. to 6 A.M.
Wilson nobly offered always to take the 8 A.M. obser-
vation, but the lion's share of the work fell on Royds
himself, since besides taking his share of the night
work he also, throughout the first winter and a great
part of the second, took all the observations between
10 A.M. and 10 P.M.
The magnetic huts and all that appertained to them
were Bernacchi's special business, and many times
daily he was to be seen journeying to and fro in attend-
ance upon his precious charge. The general reader
may well ask why so much trouble should be taken to
ascertain small differences in the earth's magnetism,
and he can scarcely be answered in a few words.
Broadly speaking, however, the earth is a magnet, and
its magnetism is constantly changing. But why it is a
magnet, or indeed what magnetism may be, is un-
known, and obviously the most hopeful way of finding
an explanation of a phenomenon is to study it. For
many reasons the Discovery's winter station in the
76 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Antarctic was an especially suitable place in which to
record the phenomenon of magnetism.
Besides establishing the routine of scientific work,
many preparations had to be made for the comfort and
well-being of the ship during the winter, and long be-
fore the sun had disappeared the little company had
settled down to a regular round of daily life.
Later in the year Scott wrote in his diary : ' The
day's routine for the officers gives four clear hours
before tea and three after; during these hours all with-
out exception are busily employed except for the hour
or more devoted to exercise. ... It would be difficult
to say who is the most diligent, but perhaps the palm
would be given to Wilson, who is always at work;
every rough sketch made since we started is reproduced
in an enlarged and detailed form, until we now possess
a splendid pictorial representation of the whole coast-
line of Victoria Land. ... At home many no doubt
will remember the horrible depression of spirit that has
sometimes been pictured as a pendant to the long
Polar night. We cannot even claim to be martyrs in
this respect; with plenty of work the days pass placidly
and cheerfully/
Nearly seven months before Scott wrote in this
cheerful spirit of the winter, he had expressed himself
warmly about those who were to spend it with him.
* I have/ he said in a letter despatched from Port
Chalmers on the voyage out, * the greatest admiration
for the officers and men, and feel that their allegiance
to me is a thing assured. Our little society in the
THE POLAR WINTER 77
wardroom is governed by a spirit of good fellowship
and patience which is all that the heart of man could
desire; I am everlastingly glad to be one of the com-
pany and not forced to mess apart. . . . The absence
of friction and the fine comradeship displayed through-
out is beyond even my best expectation/
This spirit of good-fellowship and give-and-take
was a remarkable feature of life during the time spent
in the Discovery, and the only man Scott had a word
to say against was the cook. * We shipped him at the
last moment in New Zealand, when our trained cook
became too big for his boots, and the exchange was
greatly for the worse; I am afraid he is a thorough
knave, but what is even worse, he is dirty an unfor-
givable crime in a cook/
Under such circumstances it is obvious that tempers
might have been overstrained, and apart from the sins
of the cook the weather was unexpectedly troublesome.
Almost without exception the North Polar winter has
been recorded as a period of quiescence, but in the
Antarctic the wind blew with monotonous persistency,
and calm days were very few and far between. Never-
theless Scott had little reason to change his original
opinion about his companions, all of whom were pre-
pared to put up with some unavoidable discomforts,
and to make the best of a long job.
During the winter a very regular weekly routine
was kept up, each day having its special food and its
special tasks. The week's work ended on Friday, and
Saturday was devoted to ' clean ship/ the officers doing
78 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
their share of the scrubbing. In the forenoon the
living-spaces were thoroughly cleaned, holes and cor-
ners were searched, and while the tub and scrubber
held sway the deck became a ' snipe marsh/ At this
time the holds also were cleared up, the bilges pumped
out, the upper deck was 'squared up/ and a fresh
layer of clean snow was sprinkled over that which had
been soiled by the traffic of the week. Then a free
afternoon for all hands followed, and after dinner in
the wardroom the toast was the time-honoured one of
* Sweethearts and Wives/
On Sunday a different garment was put on, not
necessarily a newer or a cleaner one, the essential point
being that it should be different from that which had
been worn during the week. By 9.30 the decks had
been cleared up, the tables and shelves tidied, and the
first lieutenant reported 'All ready for rounds/ A
humble imitation of the usual man-of-war walk-round
Sunday inspection followed, and Scott had the greatest
faith in this system of routine, not only because it had
a most excellent effect on the general discipline and
cleanliness of the ship, but also because it gave an
opportunity to raise and discuss each new arrangement
that was made to increase the comfort of all on board*
After this inspection of both ship and men, the
mess-deck was prepared for church; harmonium,
reading-desk and chairs were all placed according
to routine, and the bell was tolled* Scott read the
service, Koettlitz the lessons, and Royds played the
harmonium,
THE POLAR WINTER 79
Service over, all stood off for the day and looked
forward to the feast of mutton which was limited to
Sunday. 'By using it thus sparingly the handsome
gift of the New Zealand farmers should last us till the
early spring. But it is little use to think of the sad
day when it will fail; for the present I must confess
that we always take an extra walk to make quite sure
of our appetites on Sunday/
On June 23 the festival of mid-winter was cele-
brated, and the mess-deck was decorated with designs
in coloured papers and festooned with chains and ropes
of the same materials. Among the messes there was
a great contest to have the best decorations, and some
astonishing results were achieved with little more than
brightly coloured papers, a pair of scissors and a pot
of paste. On each table stood a grotesque figure or
fanciful erection of ice, which was cunningly lighted
up by candles from within and sent out shafts of
sparkling light. * If/ Scott wrote in his diary, ' the
light-hearted scenes of to-day can end the first period
of our captivity, what room for doubt is there that we
shall triumphantly weather the whole term with the
same general happiness and contentment ? '
During the winter months the South Polar Times,
edited by Shackleton, appeared regularly, and was read
with interest and amusement by every one. At first it
had been decided that each number should contain,
besides the editorial, a summary of the events and
meteorological conditions of the past month, some
scientifically instructive articles dealing with the work
8o THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
and surroundings, and others written in a lighter vein;
but, as the scheme developed, it was found that such
features as caricatures and acrostics could be added.
One of the pleasantest points in connection with the
Times was that the men contributed as well as the
officers; in fact some of the best, and quite the most
amusing, articles were written by the occupants of the
mess-deck. But beyond all else the journal owed its
excellence to Wilson, who produced drawings that
deserved and ultimately obtained a far wider appre-
ciation than could be given to them in the Antarctic.
So great was the desire to contribute to the first num-
ber of the 5\ P. T. that the editor's box was crammed
with manuscripts by the time the date for sending in
contributions had arrived. From these there was no
difficulty in making a selection, but as there was also
some danger of hurting the feelings of those whose
contributions had been rejected, a supplementary
journal named The Blizzard was produced. This
publication, however, had but a brief career, for in
spite of some good caricatures and a very humorous
frontispiece by Barne, it was so inferior to the S. P. T.
that even its contributors realised that their mission
in life did not lie in the paths of literary composition,
The Blizmrd, in short, served its purpose, and then
ceased to exist.
In considering the arrangements to make the ship
comfortable during the dark months, the question of
artificial light was as difficult as it was important,
Paraffin had from the first been suggested as the most
THE POLAR WINTER 81
suitable illuminant, its main disadvantage being that
it is not a desirable oil to carry in quantities in a ship.
' Our luckiest find/ Scott says, ' was perhaps the right
sort of lamp in which to burn this oil. Fortunately an
old Arctic explorer, Captain Egerton, presented me
with a patent lamp in which the draught is produced by
a fan worked by clockwork mechanism, and no chimney
is needed. One can imagine the great mortality there
would be in chimneys if we were obliged to employ
them, so that when, on trial, this lamp was found to
give an excellent light, others of the same sort were
purchased, and we now use them exclusively in all
parts of the ship with extremely satisfactory results/
There was, however, a still brighter illuminant
within their reach in the shape of acetylene, but not
until it became certain that they would have to spend
a second winter in the Antarctic, did their thoughts
fly to the calcium carbide which had been provided
for the hut, and which they had not previously thought
of using. ' In this manner the darkness of our second
winter was relieved by a light of such brilliancy that
all could pursue their occupations by the single burner
placed in each compartment. I lay great stress on
this, because I am confident that this is in every way
the best illuminant that can be taken for a Polar winter,
and no future expedition should fail to supply them-
selves with it/
As has already been said, the meteorological obser-
vations had to be read and recorded every two hours,
and on July 21 Scott gave in his diary a full and
82 THE VOYAGES DF CAPTAIN SCOTT
graphic account of the way he occupied himself during
his c night on/ * Each of us has his own way of pass*-
ing the long, silent hours. My own custom is to devote
.some of it to laundry-work, and I must confess I make
a very poor fist of it. However, with a bath full of
hot water, I commence pretty regularly after the ten
o'clock observation, and labour away until my back
aches. There is little difficulty with the handkerchiefs,
socks and such-like articles, but when it conies to
thick woollen vests and pyjamas, I feel ready to own
my incapacity; one always seems to be soaping and
rubbing at the same place, and one is forced to wonder
at the area of stuff which it takes to cover a com-
paratively small body. My work is never finished
by midnight, but I generally pretend that it is, and
after taking the observations for that hour, return to
wring everything out. I am astonished to find that
even this is no light task; as one wrings out one end
the water seems to fly to the other; then I haag some
heavy garment on a hook and wring until I can wring
no more; but even so, after it has been hung for a few
minutes on the wardroom clothes-line, it will begin
to drip merrily on the floor, and I have to tackle it
afresh. I shall always have a high respect for launclry-
work in future, but I do not think it can often have to
cope with such thick garments as we wear.
' Washing over, one can devote oneself to pleasanter
occupations. The night-watchman is always allowed
a box of sardines, which are scarce enough to be a great
luxury, and is provided with tea or cocoa and a spirit-
THE POLAR WINTER 83
lamp. Every one has his own ideas as to how sardines
should be prepared . . . and I scarcely like to record
that there is a small company of gourmets, who ac-
tually wake one another up in order that the night-
watchman may present his fellow epicures with a small
finger of buttered toast, on which are poised two sar-
dines " done to a turn." The awakened sleeper de-
vours the dainty morsel, grunts his satisfaction, and
goes placidly off into dreamland again.
* I find that after my labours at the wash-tub and
the pleasing supper that follows, I can safely stretch
myself out in a chair without fear of being overcome
by sleep, and so, with the ever-soothing pipe and one's
latest demand on the library book-shelves, one settles
down in great peace and contentment whilst keeping
an eye on the flying hours, ready to sally forth into
the outer darkness at the appointed time.
* The pleasure or pain of that periodic journey is of
course entirely dependent on the weather. On a fine
night it may be quite a pleasure, but when, as is more
common, the wind is sweeping past the ship, the
observer is often subjected to exasperating difficulties,
and to conditions when his conscience must be at
variance with his inclination,
4 Sometimes the lantern will go out at the screen,
and he is forced to return on board to light it; some-
times it will refuse to shine on the thin threads of
mercury of the thermometer until it is obvious that his
proximity has affected the reading, ancl he is forced to
stand off until it has again fallen to the air tempera-
84 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
ture. . . . These and many other difficulties in taking
observations which may be in themselves valueless
are met in the right spirit. I think we all appreciate
that they are part of a greater whole whose value must
stand or fall by attention to detail/
At the end of July a most unpleasant fact had to
be faced in a mishap to the boats. Early in the winter
they had been hoisted out to give more room for the
awning, and had been placed in a line about a hundred
yards from the ice-foot on the sea-ice. The earliest
gale drifted them up nearly gunwale high, and thus for
the next two months they remained in sight. But then
another gale brought more snow, and was so especially
generous with it in the neighbourhood of the boats,
that they were afterwards found to be buried three or
four feet beneath the surface. With no feelings of
anxiety, but rather to provide occupation, Scott ordered
the snow on the top of them to be removed, and not
until the first boat had been reached was the true state
of affairs revealed. She was found lying in a mass of
slushy ice with which she was nearly filled, and though
for a moment there was a wild hope that she could be
pulled up, this soon vanished; for the air temperature
promptly converted the slush into hardened ice, and
so she was stuck fast.
Nothing more could be done at that time to recover
the boats, because as fast as the sodden ice could be dug
out, more sea-water would have come in and frozen.
But to try and prevent bad going to worse before the
summer brought hope with it, parties were engaged
THE POLAR WINTER 85
day after day in digging away at the snow covering,
and in the course of months many tons must have been
removed. The danger was that fresh gales bringing
more snow might have sunk the boats so far below the
surface that they could never be recovered, and after
each gale the diggers were naturally despondent, as to
all appearances they had to begin all over again. The
prospect, however, of having to leave the Antarctic
without a single boat in the ship, and also the feeling
that so much labour must tell in the end, spurred on
the diggers to renewed vigour, but it was not until
December that the boats were finally liberated.
Early in August another gale with blinding drift
was responsible for an experience to Bernacchi and
Skelton that once again emphasised the bewildering
effect of a blizzard. They were in the smaller compart-
ment of the main hut completing a set of pendulum
observations, while Royds was in the larger compart-
ment the hut was used for many and various purposes
rehearsing his nigger minstrel troupe. "Either be-
cause nigger minstrelsy and scientific work did not go
hand in hand, or because their work was finished, Ber-
nacchi and Skelton, soon after the rehearsal began, left
the hut to return to the ship. Fully an hour and a half
afterwards Royds and his troupe, numbering more
than a dozen, started back, and found that the gale had
increased and that the whirling snow prevented them
from seeing anything. Being, however, in such num-
bers, they were able to join hands and sweep along
until tBey caught the guide-rope leading to the gang-
86 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
way; and then as they travelled along it they heard
feeble shouts, and again extending their line suddenly
fell upon Bernacchi and Skelton, who, having entirely
lost their bearings, had been reduced to shouting on
the chance of being heard and rescued.
The hut was scarcely 200 yards from the ship, and
the latter was not only a comparatively big object but
was surrounded by guide-ropes and other means of
direction, which if encountered would have informed
the wanderers of their position. Additionally Ber-
nacchi and Skelton could be trusted to take the most
practical course in any difficulty, and so it seems the
more incredible that they could actually have been lost
for two hours. Both of them were severely frost-
bitten about the face and legs, but bitter as their experi-
ence was it served as yet another warning to those who
were to go sledging in the spring that no risks could
be taken in such a capricious climate. Had not Royds
been rehearsing his troupe on this occasion the results
to Bernacchi and Skelton must have been more dis-
astrous than they were; consequently the idea of using
the large hut as a place of entertainment was fortunate
in more ways than one.
During the first week of May a concert had been
given in the hut, but this was more or less in the nature
of an experiment; for Royds, who took infinite pains
over these entertainments, had arranged a long pro-
gramme with the object of bringing to light any possible
talent. The result of this was that even the uncritical
had to confess that most of the performers would have
THE POLAR WINTER 87
been less out of place among the audience. So much
dramatic ability, however, was shown that Barne was
entrusted with the work of producing a play, which,
after many rehearsals conducted with due secrecy, was
produced on June 25.
This play was entitled * The Ticket of Leave/ ' a
screaming comedy in one act/ and was produced with
unqualified success. ' I for one/ Scott says, ' have to
acknowledge that I have rarely been so gorgeously
entertained.'
Later on Royds began to organise his nigger min-
strel troupe, and when the doors of the Royal Terror
Theatre opened at 7.30 on August 6, the temperature
outside them was 40, while inside it was well
below zero. Under these conditions it is small wonder
that the audience was glad when the curtain went up.
' There is no doubt/ Scott says in reference to
this performance, ' that sailors dearly love to make up;
on this occasion they had taken an infinity of trouble
to prepare themselves. ..." Bones " and " Skins "
had even gone so far as to provide themselves with
movable top-knots which could be worked at effective
moments by pulling a string below. . . To-night
the choruses and plantation-songs led by Royds were
really well sung, and they repay him for the very great
pains he has taken in the rehearsals/
So with entertainments to beguile the time, and
with blizzards to endure, and with preparations to
make for sledging, the days passed by until on August
21 the sun was once more due to return. But on that
88 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
day a few hours of calm in the morning were succeeded
by whirling snow-squalls from the south, and each lull
was followed by a wild burst of wind. Scott was glad
enough to have every one on board in such weather,
and at noon when he had hoped to be far over the hills
only vast sheets of gleaming snow could be seen. The
following day, however, was an ideal one for the first
view of the long-absent sun, and Scott went to the top
of Crater Hill to watch and welcome. * Over all the
magnificent view the sunlight spreads with gorgeous
effect after its long absence; a soft pink envelops
the western ranges, a brilliant red gold covers the
northern sky; to the north also each crystal of snow
sparkles with reflected light. The sky shows every
gradation of light and shade; little flakes of golden
sunlit cloud float against the pale blue heaven, and
seem to hover in the middle heights, whilst far above
them a feathery white cirrus shades to grey on its
unlit sides/
But when the men were told that the sun could
be seen from Hut Point, to Scott's astonishment
they displayed little or no enthusiasm. Every one
seemed glad to think that it had been punctual in
keeping its appointment, but after all they had
seen the sun a good many times before, and in the
next few months they would in all probability see it
a good many times again, and there was no sense in
getting excited about it. Some of them did set off
at a run for the point, while others, since it seemed the
right thing to do, followed at a walk, but a good
THE POLAR WINTER 89
number remained on board and had their dinner.
On August 25 the Feast of the Sun was duly cele-
brated, and the days that followed were fuller than
ever with preparations for the spring journeys. The
only sewing-machine clattered away all day long, and
the whole company plied their needles as if they were
being sweated by iron-handed taskmasters. The long
winter was at an end, and every one, in the best of
spirits, was looking forward eagerly to the spring
sledge journeys, and making garments in which to bid
defiance to the wind and the weather. As regards the
actual sledge equipment which was taken to the south,
Scott had depended on the experience of others, and
especially on that of Artnitage, but owing to a variety
of reasons the difficulty of providing an efficient
sledging outfit had been immense.
In England twenty-five years had passed since any
important sledging expedition had been accomplished,
and during that time not a single sledge, and very
few portions of a sledge equipment, had been made
in the country. The popular accounts of former
expeditions were not written to supply the minute
details required, and no memory could be expected
to retain these details after such a lapse of time. In
fact the art of sledge-making was lost in England,
but fortunately the genius of Nansen had transferred
it to Norway. In the autumn of 1900 Scott had
visited Christiania, and there received much advice
and assistance from Nansen himself. It was not,
however, until Armitage agreed to serve as second in
9 o THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
command of the expedition that Scott had any-
one on whom he could rely to provide the sledging
outfit.
In making these preparations for long journeys
in the south, there was no previous experience to go
upon except that which had been gained in the north;
indeed it was necessary to assume that southern con-
ditions would be more or less similar to those of the
north, and in so far as they proved different the
sledging outfit ran the risk of failure. Experience
taught Scott that in many respects the sledging con-
ditions of the south were different from those of the
north, and so it is only fair to consider the sledge
journeys taken by the Discovery expedition as pioneer
efforts. These differences are both climatic and geo-
graphical. For instance, the conditions in the south
are more severe than those in the north, both in the
lowness of the temperatures and in the distressing
frequency of blizzards and strong winds. And the
geographical difference between the work of the
northern and the southern sledge-traveller is as great
as the climatic, if not greater, for the main part of
northern travelling has been and will be done on sea-
ice, while the larger part of southern travelling has
been and will be done over land surfaces, or what in
this respect are their equivalents.
So impressed was Scott by the impossibility of
dragging a sledge over the surfaces of the Great
Barrier to the South at the rate maintained by the old
English travellers on the northern sea-ice, that he be-
gan seriously to think that the British race of explorer!
THE POLAR WINTER 91
must have deteriorated rapidly and completely in
stamina. But later on, in carrying out exploration
to the west, he had to travel over the sea-ice of the
strait, and then he discovered that given the surface
there was nothing wrong with the pace at which his
sledge parties could travel. Probably, however, the
distances recorded by the northern travellers will
never be exceeded in the south, for the Antarctic
explorer has to meet severer climatic conditions, and
while pulling his sledge over heavier surfaces he is
not likely to meet with fewer obstacles in his path.
To make marching records is not, of course, the main
purpose of sledge-travellers, but all the same, where
conditions are equal, speed and the distance travelled
are a direct test of the efficiency of sledging prepara-
tions, and of the spirit of those who undertake this
arduous service.
The main differences between the sledges used by
the Discovery expedition and those used by other
explorers were a decrease in breadth and an increase
in runner surface. Measured across from the centre
of one runner to the centre of the other Scott's sledges
were all, with one exception, i foot 5 inches. The'
runners themselves were 3^4 inches across, so that
the sledge track from side to side measured about
i foot 8$4 inches. The lengths varied from 12 feet
to 7 feet, but the n-foot sledges proved to be by far
the most convenient a length of 12 feet seeming to
pass just beyond the limit of handiness.
Taking then n feet as about the best length for
this type of sledge, it will be seen that it differed
92 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
considerably from the old Arctic type, which was 10
feet long and 3 feet broad. The weight of such an
n -foot sledge was anything between 40 and 47 Ibs.,,
and this was none too light when the full strength of
the structure was required. Generally speaking, the
full load that could be put upon them was about 600
Ibs. The most important part of the sledge is the run-
ner, in which the grain must be perfectly straight and
even, or it will splinter very easily; but it surprised
Scott to find what a lot of wear a good wood runner
would stand, provided that it was only taken over
snow. * Some of our 9-foot sledges must/ he says,
* have travelled 1,000 miles, and there was still plenty
of wear left in the runners/
In point of numbers the Discovery's crew was far
behind the old Northern expeditions; and it was this
fact that made Scott decide, in arranging a sledge
equipment where men and not dogs would do most
of the haulage, to divide his parties into the smallest
workable units. The old Northern plan had allowed
for parties of at least eight, who, having a common
tent and cooking arrangements, could not be sub-
divided. Scott's plan was not necessarily to limit the
number of men in his parties, but to divide them into
units of three, which should be self-contained, so that
whenever it was advisable a unit could be detached
from the main party* Under such a system it is
obvious that each unit must have its own tent,
sleeping-bag, cooker, and so on; and therein lay a
disadvantage, as economy of material and weight cat*
THE POLAR WINTER 93
be better carried out with a large unit than with
a small one.
The weights of a party naturally divide themselves
under two headings: the permanent, which will not
diminish throughout the trip, and the consumable, in-
cluding food, oil, &c. The following is a list of the per-
manent weights carried on Scott's journey to the west,
and it will give some idea of the variety of articles,
exclusive of provisions. The party numbered six.
Ibs.
2 Sledges with fittings complete . . .130
Trace 5
2 Cookers, pannikins and spoons ... 30
2 Primus lamps, filled 10
2 Tents complete ...... 60
2 Spades 9
2 Sleeping-bags with night-gear . . .100
Sleeping jackets, crampons, spare finnesko x . 50
Medical bag 6
3 Ice-axes 8
Bamboos and marks 11*5
Instruments and camera 50
Alpine rope 9
Repair and tool bags, sounding-line, tape,
sledge brakes 15
Ski boots for party 15
Ski for party 60
Total 568^5
1 Reindeer- fur boots.
94 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Roughly speaking, a man can drag from 200 to
240 Ibs., but his load was rarely above 200 Ibs. This
for six men gave a total carrying capacity of 1,200
Ibs. and hence about 630 Ibs. could be devoted to
provisions.
Again, speaking very roughly, this amount is about
six weeks' food for a party of six, but as such a short
period is often not long enough to satisfy sledge-
travellers, they are compelled to organise means by
which their journey can be prolonged. This can be
done in two ways; they may either go out earlier in the
season and lay a depot at a considerable distance
towards their goal, or they may arrange to receive
assistance from a supporting party, which accompanies
them for a certain distance on the road and helps their
advance party to drag a heavier load than they can
accomplish alone.
Both of these plans were adopted by Scott on the
more important journeys, and his parties were able
to be absent from the ship for long periods and to
travel long distances.
CHAPTER V
THE START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To its full height. . . .
. . . Shew us here
That you are worth your breeding, which I doubt not.
For there is none so mean or base
That have not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start.
SHAKESPEARE,
DURING the later months of the dark season all
thoughts had been turned to the prospects of the spring
journeys, and many times the advantages and disad-
vantages of dogs for sledging were discussed. This
question of the sacrifice of animal life was one on which
Scott felt strongly from the time he became an explorer
to the end of his life. Argue with himself as he might,
the idea was always repugnant to his nature.
' To say/ he wrote after his first expedition,
* that dogs do not greatly increase the radius of action
is absurd; to pretend that they can be worked to this
end without pain, suffering, and death, is equally
futile. The question is whether the latter can be jus-
tified by the gain, and I think that logically it may be;
95
96 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
but the introduction of such sordid necessity must
and does rob sledge-travelling of much of its glory.
In my mind no journey ever made with dogs can
approach the height of that fine conception which
is realised when a party of men go forth to face hard-
ships, dangers, and difficulties with their own unaided
efforts, and by days and weeks of hard physical labour
succeed in solving some problem of the great unknown.
Surely in this case the conquest is more nobly and
splendidly won.'
When the spring campaign opened in 1902 the
original team of dogs had been sadly diminished. Of
the nineteen that remained for the southern journey,
all but ene and he was killed at an earlier period
left their bones on the great southern plains. This
briefly is the history of the dogs, but the circumstances
under which they met their deaths will be mentioned
later on.
Before Scott started on the southern journey he
decided to make a short trip to the north with the dogs
and a party of six officers and men, his main purposes
being to test the various forms of harness, and to
find out whether the dogs pulled best in large or small
teams, During part of this journey, which only lasted
from September 2 to 5, the four sledges were taken
independently with four dogs harnessed to each, and it
was discovered that if the first team got away all
right, the others were often keen to play the game of
' follow my leader/ Sometimes, indeed, there was a
positive spirit of rivalry, and on one occasion two
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 97
competing teams got closer and closer to each other,
with the natural result that when they were near
enough to see what was happening, they decided that
the easiest way to settle the matter was by a free fight
So they turned inwards with one accord and met
with a mighty shock. In a moment there was a
writhing mass of fur and teeth, and an almost hope-
less confusion of dog traces. But even in this short
trip some experience had been gained; for results
showed how unwise it was to divide the dogs into
small parties, and also there was no mistaking which
were the strong and which the weak dogs, and, what
was of more importance, which the willing and which
the lazy ones.
On September 10, Royds and Koettlitz started
off to the south-west with Evans, Quartley, Lashly
and Wild. And of this party Scott wrote : ' They
looked very workmanlike, and one could see at a
glance the vast improvement that has been made since
last year. The sledges were uniformly packed. . . .
One shudders now to think of the slovenly manner in
which we conducted things last autumn; at any rate
here is a first result of the care and attention of the
winter/
Armitage and Ferrar with four men left for the west
oti the following day, but owing to the necessity of
making fresh harness for the dogs and to an exasperat-
ing blizzard, Scott was not $ble to start on his south-
ern reconnaissance journey until September 17,
On the morning of that day he and his two com-
98 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
panions, Barne and Shackleton, with thirteen dogs
divided into two teams, left the ship in bright sun-
shine; but by 1.15 P.M., when they camped for lunch,
the wind was blowing from the east and the ther-
mometer was down to 43.
The sledges carried a fortnight's food for all con-
cerned, together with a quantity of stores to form a
depot, the whole giving a load of about 90 Ibs. per
dog; but this journey was destined to be only a short
and bitter experience.
The reason was that on the night of the I7th the
travellers were so exhausted that they did not heap
enough snow on the skirting of the tent, and when
Scott woke up on the following morning he found him-
self in the open. ' At first, as I lifted the flap of my
sleeping-bag, I could not think what had happened,
I gazed forth on a white sheet of drifting snow, with
no sign of the tent or my companions. For a -moment
I wondered what in the world it could mean, but
the lashing of the snow in my face very quickly awoke
me to full consciousness, and I sat up to find that in
some extraordinary way I had rolled out of the tent/
At the time a violent gale was raging, and through
the blinding snow Scott could only just see the
tent, though it was flapping across the foot of his
bag; but when he had wriggled back to the tent
the snow was whirling as freely inside as without,
and the tent itself was straining so madly at what
remained of its securing, that something had to be done
at once to prevent it from blowing away altogether,
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 99
So with freezing fingers they gripped the skirting
and gradually pulled it inwards, and half sitting upon
it, half grasping it, they 9 ' tried to hold it against the
wild blasts of the storm, while they discussed the
situation. Discussion, however, was useless. An
attempt to secure the tent properly in such weather
was impossible, while they felt that if once they loosed
their grip, the tent would hasten to leave them at once
and for ever. Every now and then they were forced to
get a fresh hold, and lever themselves once more over
the skirt. And as they remained hour after hour
grimly hanging on and warning each other of frost-
bitten features, their sleeping-bags became fuller and
fuller of snow, until they were lying in masses of chilly
slush. Not until 6p.M. had they by ceaseless exer-
tions so far become masters of the situation, that
there was no further need for the tent to be held with
anything except the weight of their sleeping-bags.
Then an inspection of hands showed a number of frost-
bites, but Barne, whose fingers had not recovered from
the previous year, had suffered the most. ' To have
hung on to the tent through all those hours must have
been positive agony to him, yet he never uttered a
word of complaint/
By 10 P.M. the worst of the storm had passed, and
after a few hours 1 sleep and a hot meal, they soon
decided that to push on after this most miserable ex-
perience was very unwise, since by returning to the
ship they would only lose one day's march and every-
thing could be dried for a fresh start
ioo THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Apart from ' Brownie/ who spent his time inside
the tent, the rest of the dogs never uttered a sound
during the storm, and were found quite happily sleep-
ing in their nests of snow. On the journey back the
thermometer recorded 53, and the effect of such
a temperature upon wet clothing may be imagined.
' I shall remember the condition of my trousers for
a long while; they might have been cut out of sheet
iron. It was some time before I could walk with any
sort of ease, and even when we reached the ship I was
conscious of carrying an armour plate behind me. . . .
It will certainly be a very long time before I go to sleep
again in a tent which is not properly secured/
On September 24 Scott was ready to start again,
but Barne's fingers had suffered so severely that his
place was taken by the boatswain, Feather, who had
taken a keen interest in every detail of sledging.
Owing to the dogs refusing to do what was expected of
them, and to gales, slow progress was made, but the
wind had dropped by the morning of September 29,
and Scott was so anxious to push on that he took no
notice of ^ fresh bank of cloud coming up from the
south, with more wind and drift. Taking the lead
himself, he gave orders to the two teams to follow
rigidly in his wake, whatever turns and twists he might
make. Notwithstanding the bad light he could see the
bridged crevasses, where they ran across the bare ice
surface, by slight differences in shade, and though he
could not see them where they dived into the valleys, he
found that the bridges were strong enough to bear. In
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 101
his desire to use the snowy patches as far as possible,
the course he took was very irregular, and the dogs in-
variably tried to cut corners. In this manner they pro-
ceeded for some time, until Scott suddenly heard a
shout, and looking back saw to his horror that Feather
had vanished. The dog team and sledges were there
all right, but their leader was lost to sight. Hurrying
back he found that the trace had disappeared down a
formidable crevasse, but to his great relief Feather was
at the end of the trace, and was soon hauled up. One
strand of Feather's harness was cut clean through where
it fell across the ice-edge, and although, being a man of
few words, he was more inclined to swear at * Nigger '
for trying to cut a corner than to marvel at his own
escape, there is no doubt that he had a very close call.
After this accident the dog teams were joined, and
reluctant to give up they advanced again; but very
soon the last of the four sledges disappeared, and was
found hanging vertically up and down in an ugly-look-
ing chasm. To the credit of the packing not a single
thing had come off, in spite of the jerk with which it had
fallen. It was, however, too heavy to haul up as It was,
but, after some consultation, the indefatigable Feather
proposed that he should be let down and undertake
the very cold job of unpacking it. So he was slung with
one end of the Alpine rope, while the other was used
for hauling up the various packages; and at last the
load was got up, and the lightened sledge soon followed.
After this incident they thought it prudent to treat
these numerous crevasses with more respect, and on
102 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
proceeding they roped themselves together; but al-
though no more mishaps occurred, Scott afterwards
was more inclined to attribute this to good luck than
to good judgment. ' Looking back on this day, I cannot
but think our procedure was extremely rash. I have
not the least doubt now that this region was a very
dangerous one, and the fact that we essayed to cross
it in this light-hearted fashion can only be ascribed to
our ignorance. With us, I am afraid, there were not a
few occasions when one might have applied the proverb
that " Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." '
The depot, leaving six weeks' provision for three
men and 150 Ibs. of dog-food, was made on the morn-
ing of October i, and besides marking it with a large
black flag, Scott was also careful to take angles with a
prismatic compass to all the points he could see. Then
they started home, and the dogs knowing at once what
was meant no longer required any driving. On the
homeward march the travellers went for all they were
worth, and in spite of perpetual fog covered eighty-five
statute miles in less than three clays.
On returning to the ship Scott admits that he found
it a most delightful place. The sense of having done
what he wanted to do had something to do with this
feeling of satisfaction, but it was the actual physical
comfort after days of privation that chiefly affected
him. The joy of possessing the sledging appetite was
sheer delight, and for many clays after the travellers
returned from their sletlgmg~trip$ f they retained a hun-
ger which it seemed impossible to satisfy*
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 103
In short Scott, on the night of his return, was very
pleased with himself and the world in general, but
before he went to bed all his sense of comfort and peace
had gone. For he had discovered what Armitage,
wishing to give him some hours of unmixed enjoy-
ment, had not meant to mention until the following
morning, and this was that there had been an out-
break of scurvy the disease that has played a par-
ticularly important, and often a tragic, part in the
adventures of Polar travellers, and the seriousness of
which every one who has read the history of Polar
explorations cannot fail to realise.
This outbreak had occurred during Armitage's
journey, and when he, after much anxiety, had got his
men back to the ship, Wilson's medical examination
proved that Ferrar, Heald and Cross were all attacked,
while the remainder of the party were not above
suspicion.
Very soon, however, symptoms of the disease be-
gan to abate, but the danger lurking around them
was continually in Scott's thoughts, and he was deter-
mined not to give the dreaded enemy another chance
to break out.
Everything possible was done to make the ship and
everything in her sweet and clean, and after a large
seal-killing party, sent out at Wilson's suggestion,
had returned, the order was given that no tinned meat
of any description should be issued. By October 20
this grave disease had to all intents and purposes
passed away, but although evidence showed that it was
104 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
caused by tinned meats which were to all appearances
of the best quality, and by apparently fresh mutton
taken in small quantities, there was no positive proof
that these were the causes of the trouble.
This attack of scurvy came as a great surprise to
every one, for when the long winter was over and all of
them were in good health and high spirits, they had
naturally congratulated themselves on the effective-
ness of their precautions. The awakening from this
pleasant frame of mind was rude, and though the dis-
ease vanished with astonishing rapidity, it was -quite
apart from the benefit lost to medical science very
annoying not to be able to say definitely from what the
evil had sprung.
But although the seriousness of this outbreak was
not underrated, and every precaution was taken to
prevent its recurrence, preparations for the various
journeys were pushed on with no less vigour and
enthusiasm. The game to play was that there was
nothing really to be alarmed about, and every one
played it with the greatest success.
Scott's journey to the south had indicated that the
main party would have to travel directly over the snow-
plain at a long distance from, and perhaps out of sight
of, land; and as in all probability no further depots
could be established, it was desirable that this party
should be supported as far as possible on their route.
To meet these requirements it was decided that Barne,
with a party of twelve men, should accompany the clog-
team, until the weights were reduced to an amount
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 105
which the dogs could drag without assistance. Then
Barne was to return to the ship, and after a short rest
start again with six men, to follow the coast-line west
of the Bluff, As soon as this was in train, Armitage
was to have at his disposal all the men and material
left in the ship for his attack on the western region.
On Friday, October 24, Royds, who had left the
ship three weeks before with Skelton, Lashly, Evans,
Quartley and Wild, returned with the good news that
he had been able to communicate with the ' Record '
post at Cape Crozier. If a relief ship was going to be
sent out, Scott now had the satisfaction of knowing
that she had a good prospect of being guided to the
winter quarters of the expedition. It was also a great
source of satisfaction to find that although Royds
and his party had left almost immediately after the
outbreak of scurvy, they had all returned safe and with
no symptom of the disease.
From the I3th to the i8th this party had been kept
in their tents by a most persistent blizzard, and be-
fore the blizzard ceased they were practically buried
in the heart of a snowdrift; in fact one tent had
literally to be dug out before its occupants could be
got into the open, while the sledges and everything left
outside were completely buried. As the snow grad-
ually accumulated round the tents it became heavier
and heavier on every fold of canvas, and reduced
the interior space to such an extent that those inside
were obliged to He with their knees bent double.
Royds, whose reports wen* invariably very brief and to
io6 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the point, dismissed the tale of these five days in half
a page, but no great effort of imagination is needed
to grasp the horrible discomforts every one must have
endured. And yet when this party recounted their
adventures on board the ship, the hardships were
scarcely mentioned, and all that the men seemed to
remember were the amusing incidents that had
happened.
On this journey a colony of Emperor penguins was
discovered, and among them were several which were
nursing chicks. ' I will only testify/ Scott says, ' to
the joy which greeted this discovery on board the ship.
We had felt that this penguin was the truest type of
our region. All other birds fled north when the
severity of winter descended upon us: the Emperor
alone was prepared to face the extremest rigours of
our climate; and we gathered no small satisfaction
from being the first to throw light on the habits of a
creature, which so far surpasses in hardihood all others
of the feathered tribe/
Before the end of October everything was prepared
for the southern journey; every eventuality seemed
to be provided for, and as it was expected that the dogs
would travel faster than the men Barne and his party
started off on October 30, while the dog team left
a few days later. ' The supporting party started this
morning, amidst a scene of much enthusiasm; all
hands had a day off, and employed it in helping to
drag the sledges for several miles . . . Barneys banner
floated on the first, the next bore a Union Jack, and
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 107
another carried a flag with a large device stating tf No
dogs needs apply " ; the reference was obvious. It was
an inspiriting sight to see nearly the whole of our
small company step out on the march with ringing
cheers, and to think that all work of this kind promised
to be done as heartily.'
And then the day that Scott had been so eagerly
looking forward to arrived, and at ten o'clock on the
morning of November 2, he, Shackleton and Wilson,
amidst the wild cheers of their comrades, started on
the southern journey. * Every soul was gathered on
the floe to bid us farewell, and many were prepared
to accompany us for the first few miles/ The dogs, as
if knowing that a great effort was expected of them,
had never been in such form, and in spite of the
heavy load and the fact that at first two men had to
sit on the sledges to check them, it was as much as
the rest of the party could do to keep up. By noon
the volunteers had all tailed off, and the three trav-
ellers were alone with the dogs, and still breathlessly
trying to keep pace with them. Soon afterwards
they caught sight of a dark spot ahead and later on
made this out to be the supporting party, who, when
they were overtaken on the same evening, reported that
they had been kept in their tents by bad weather. Hav-
ing relieved them of some of their loads, Scott
camped, while they pushed on to get the advantage of
a night march.
During the next few days the two parties con-
stantly passed and re-passed each other, since it was
io8 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
impossible for Scott to push on ahead of Barne's party,
and the latter's progress was very slow, as they could
get no hold with their fur boots, and they found their
ski leather boots dreadfully cold for their feet. To add
to the slowness of the journey the weather was very
unfavourable, and the greater parts of the 8th and gth
were entirely wasted by a blizzard. On the loth
Depot A, that had previously been laid, was reached
and Scott wrote : * Already it seems to me that the dogs
feel the monotony of a long march over the snow more
than we do; they seem easily to get dispirited, and that
it is not due to fatigue is shown when they catch a
glimpse of anything novel. . . . To-day, for instance,
they required some driving until they caught sight of
the depot flag, when they gave tongue loudly and
dashed off as though they barely felt the load behind
them/
The names of the dogs were:
Nigger Birdie Wolf
Jim Nell Vic
Spud Blanco Bismarck
Snatcher Grannie Kid
Fitzclarence Lewis Boss
Stripes Gus Brownie
Joe
Each of them had his peculiar characteristics, and
what the southern party did not already know concern-
ing their individualities, they had ample opportunities
of finding out in the course of the next few weeks.
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 109
Nigger was the leader of the team; a place he chose
naturally for himself, and if he was put into any other
position he behaved so unpleasantly to his neighbours,
and so generally upset things, that he was quickly
shifted. A more perfect sledge-dog could scarcely
be imagined. He seemed to know the meaning of every
move, and in camp would be still as a graven image
until he saw the snow being shovelled from the skirting
of the tent, when he would spring up and pace to and
fro at his picket, and give a low throaty bark of wel-
come if anyone approached him. A few minutes later,
when the leading man came to uproot his picket, he
would watch every movement, and a slow wagging of
the tail quite obviously showed his approval : then, as
the word came to start, he would push affectionately
against the leader, as much as to say, * Now come
along!' and brace his powerful chest to the harness.
At the evening halt after a long day he would drop
straight in his tracks and remain perfectly still, with his
magnificent black head resting on his paws. Other
dogs might clamour for food, but Nigger knew per-
fectly well that the tent had first to be put up. After-
wards, however, when the dog- food was approached
his deep bell-like note could always be distinguished
amid the howling chorus, and if disturbance was to be
avoided it was well to attend to him first of all.
Of the other dogs Lewis was noisily affectionate and
hopelessly clumsy; Jim could pull splendidly when he
chose, but he was up to all the tricks of the trade and
was extraordinarily cunning at pretending to pull;
i io THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Spud was generally considered to be daft; Birdie
evidently had been treated badly in his youth and
remained distrustful and suspicious to the end; Kid
was the most indefatigable worker in the team; Wolfs
character possessed no redeeming point of any kind,
while Brownie though a little too genteel for very hard
work was charming as a pet, and it may also be said
of him that he never lost an opportunity of using his
pleasant appearance and delightful ways to lighten his
afflictions. The load for this dog team after Depot A
had been passed was 1,850 Ibs., which, considering that
some of the dogs were of little use, was heavy. But it
must not be forgotten that the men also expected to
pull, and that each night the weight would be reduced
by thirty or forty pounds. By the I3th the travellers
were nearly up to the 79th parallel, and therefore
farther south than anyone had yet been. ' The an-
nouncement of the fact caused great jubilation, and I
am extremely glad that there are no fewer than fifteen
of us to enjoy this privilege of having broken the
record.' A photograph of the record-breakers was
taken, and then half of the supporting party started to
return, and the other half stepped out once more on
a due south line, with the dogs following.
By the I5th, however, when the rest of the support-
ing party turned back, Scott had begun to be anxious
about the dogs. ' The day's work has cast a shadow
on our high aspirations, and already it is evident that
if we are to achieve much it will be only by extreme
toil, for the dogs have not pulled well to-day. * . .
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY in
We have decided that if things have not improved in
the morning we will take on half a load at a time;
after a few days of this sort of thing the loads will be
sufficiently lightened for us to continue in the old way
again/
On the following day an attempt to start with the
heavy loads promptly and completely failed, and the
only thing to do was to divide the load into two por-
tions and take half on at a time. This meant, of course,
that each mile had to be travelled three times, but there
was no alternative to this tedious form of advance.
Even, however, with the half -loads the dogs seemed
to have lost all their spirit, and at the end of the march
on the 1 8th they were practically ' done.' Only five
geographical miles 1 were gained on that day, but to
do it they had to cover fifteen.
On the night of the iQth matters had gone from
bad to worse, and it had to be acknowledged that the
fish diet the dogs were eating permanently disagreed
with them. Originally Scott had intended to take
ordinary dog-biscuits for the animals, but in an un-
lucky moment he was persuaded by an expert in dog-
driving to take fish. The fish taken was the Norwegian
stock-fish, such as is split, dried and exported from
that country in great quantities for human food. But
one important point was overlooked, namely the prob-
ability of the fish being affected on passing through the
tropics. The lesson, Scott said, was obvious, that in
future travellers in the south should safeguard their
1 7 geographical miles = a little more than 8 statute miles.
H2 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
dogs as carefully as they do their men, for in this case
it was the dogs that called the halts ; and so the party
had to spend hours in their tent which might have
been devoted to marching.
Day after day relay work continued, the only relief
from the monotony of their toil being that land was
sighted on the 2ist, and as the prospects of reaching a
high latitude were steadily disappearing, it was decided
to alter their course to S.S.W. and edge towards it.
Then the surface over which they were travelling
showed signs of improvement, but the travellers
themselves were beginning to suffer from blistered
noses and cracked lips, and their eyes were also trou-
bling them. Appetites, however, were increasing by
leaps and bounds. ' The only thing to be looked to on
our long marches is the prospect of the next meal/
On November 24 a new routine was started which
made a little variation in the dull toil of relay work.
After pushing on the first half-load one of the three
stopped with it, and got up the tent and prepared the
meal while the other two brought up the second half-
load. And then on the following day came one of
those rewards which was all the sweeter because it
had been gained by ceaseless and very monotonous
toil.
' Before starting to-day I took a meridian altitude/
Scott wrote, ' and to my delight found the latitude to
be 80 i'. All our charts of the Antarctic region show
a plain white circle beyond the eightieth parallel . . .
It has always been our ambition to get inside that white
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 113
space, and now we are there the space can no longer
be a blank; this compensates for a lot of trouble/
A blizzard followed upon this success, but the dogs
were so exhausted that a day's rest had been thought
of even if the weather had not compelled it. Wilson,
to his great discomfort, was always able to foretell
these storms, for when they were coming on he
invariably suffered from rheumatism; so, however
reluctant, he could not help being a very effective
barometer.
After the storm had passed an attempt was made
on the morning of the 27th to start with the full load,
but it took next to no time to discover that the dogs
had not benefited by their rest, and there was nothing
to do except to go on with the old routine of relay work.
As the days passed with no signs of improvement in
the dogs, it became more and more necessary to reach
the land in hopes of making a depot; so the course
was laid to the westward of S.W., which brought the
high black headland, for which they were making, on
their port bow, ' I imagine it to be about fifty miles
off, but hope it is not so much; nine hours' work
today has only given us a bare four miles.'
Then for some days the only change in the toil of
relay work and the sickening task of driving tired dogs
on and on was that they marched by night, and rested
by day. The breakfast hour was between 4 and
5 P.M.J the start at 6 P.M., and they came to camp
somewhere between three and four in the morning.
Thus they rested while the sun was at its greatest
H4 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
height; but although there were certainly advantages
in this, Scott could not get rid of a curious feeling
that something was amiss with such a topsy-turvy
method of procedure.
By December 3 they were close enough to the land
to make out some of its details. On their right was a
magnificent range of mountains, which by rough cal-
culations Scott made out to be at least fifty miles away.
By far the nearest point of land was an isolated snow-
cape, an immense, and almost dome-shaped, snow-
covered mass. At first no rock at all could be seen
on it, but as they got nearer a few patches began to
appear. For one of these patches they decided to
make so that they might establish a depot, but at the
rate at which they were travelling there was little hope
of reaching it for several days.
By this time the appetites of the party were so
ravenous that when the pernmican bag was slung
alongside a tin of paraffin, and both smelt and tasted
of oil, they did not really mind. But what saddened
them more than this taste of paraffin was the discovery,
on December 5, that their oil was going too fast. A
gallon was to have lasted twelve days, but on investi-
gation it was found on an average to have lasted only
ten, which meant that in the future each gallon would
have to last a fortnight. ' This is a distinct blow, as
we shall have to sacrifice our hot luncheon meal and
to economise greatly at both the others. We started
the new routine to-night, and for lunch ate some frozen
seal-meat and our allowance of sugar and biscuit/
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 115
It was perhaps fortunate that their discovery about
the oil was not delayed any longer, but nevertheless
it came at a time when the outlook was dreary and
dispiriting enough without additional discomforts.
On the 6th Spud gnawed through his trace, and
when Scott went outside before breakfast, one glance
at the dog's balloon-like appearance was enough to
show how he had spent his hours of freedom. He
had, in fact, eaten quite a week's allowance of the
precious seal-meat, and though rather somnolent after
his gorge, he did not seem to be suffering any par-
ticular discomfort from the enormous increase of his
waist. On the next day there was a blizzard, duly
predicted by Wilson's twinges of rheumatism, and on
the 8th Scott reluctantly records that the dogs were
steadily going downhill. * The lightening of the load
is more than counter-balanced by the weakening of the
animals, and I can see no time in which we can hope
to get the sledges along without pulling ourselves/
By the loth they were within ten or twelve miles of
the coast, but so exhausted that they felt no certainty
of reaching it; and even supposing they did get there
and make a depot, they doubted very much if they
would be in any condition to go on. One dog,
Snatcher, was already dead, and some of the others
had only been got to move with the second load by the
ignominious device of carrying food in front of them.
To see the dogs suffering was agony to those who had
to drive and coax them on, and though Scott refers
often in these days to the hunger that was nipping him p
n6 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
no one can read his diary without seeing how infinitely
more he was concerned over the suffering of the dogs
than about his own troubles. * It is terrible/ he says,
* to see them/
At last, on December 14, they arrived, when they
were almost spent, at a place where dog- food could
be left. In their march they had only managed to
do two miles after the most strenuous exertions, for
the snow became softer as they approached the land,
and the sledge-runners sank from three to four inches.
On any particularly soft patch they could do little more
than mark time, and even to advance a yard was an
achievement.
No wonder that Scott, after they had left three
weeks' provisions and a quantity of dog- food in
Depot B and had resumed their march, sounded a
note of thankfulness : ' As I write I scarcely know
how to describe the blessed relief it is to be free from
our relay work. For one-and-thirty awful days we
have been at it, and whilst I doubt if our human
endurance could have stood it much more, I am quite
sure the dogs could not. It seems now like a night-
mare, which grew more terrible towards its end.'
The sense of relief was, however, not destined to last,
for on December 21 the dogs were in such a hopeless
condition that they might at any moment have com-
pletely collapsed. This was a fact that had to be
faced, and the question 'whether under such circum-
stances it was wise to push on had to be asked and
answered. The unanimous answer was that the risk
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 117
of going on should be taken, but on that same night
Wilson, in view of future plans, reported to Scott that
his medical examinations revealed that Shackleton
had decidedly angry-looking gums, and that for some
time they had been slowly but surely getting worse.
It was decided not to tell Shackleton of these symp-
toms of scurvy, and as the bacon they were using
seemed likely to be the cause of them, it was discarded
and an increased allowance of seal given in its place.
This was a loss in weight which was serious, for
already they were reduced almost to starvation
rations of about a pound and a half a day.
Supper was the best meal, for then they had a
hoosh which ran from between three-quarters to a
whole pannikin apiece, but even this they could not
afford to make thick. While it was being heated
in the central cooker, cocoa was made in the outer,
but the lamp was turned out directly the hoosh boiled,
and by that time the chill was barely off the contents
of the outer cooker. Of course the cocoa was not
properly dissolved, but they were long past criticising
the quality of their food, All they wanted was some-
thing to ' fill up/ but needless to say they never got
it. Half an hour after supper was over they were as
hungry as ever.
When they had started from the ship, there had
been a vague idea that they could go as they pleased
with the food, but experience showed that this would
not do, and that there must be a rigid system of shares.
Consequently they used to take it in turn to divide
ii8 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
things into three equal portions, and as the man who
made the division felt called upon to take the smallest
share, the game of ' shut-eye * was invented to stop
all arguments and remonstrances. The shares were
divided as equally as possible by someone, then one
of the other two turned his head away and the divider
pointed to a portion and said, ' Whose is this ? ' He
of the averted head named the owner, and thus this
simple but useful game was played.
Wilson's examination of Shackleton on December
24 was not encouraging, but they had reached a much
harder surface and under those conditions Scott and
Wilson agreed that it was not yet time to say * Turn/
Besides, Christmas Day was in front of them, and
for a week they had all agreed that it would be a
crime to go to bed hungry on that night. In fact
they meant it to be a wonderful day, and everything
conspired to make it so.
The sun shone gloriously from a clear sky, and not
a breath of wind disturbed the calmness of the morn-
ing, but entrancing as the scene was they did not stay
to contemplate it, because for once they were going
to have a really substantial breakfast, and this was
an irresistible counter-attraction.
And afterwards, when they felt more internally
comfortable than they had for weeks, the surface
continued to be so much better that the sledges could
be pulled without any help from the dogs. On that
day they had the satisfaction of covering nearly eleven
miles, the longest march they had made for a long
START OF THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY 119
time. So when camp was pitched they were thoroughly
pleased with the day, and ready to finish it off with a
stipper to be remembered. A double * whack ' of
everything was poured into the cooking-pot, and in
the hoosh that followed a spoon would stand without
any support, and the cocoa was also brought to boiling-
point.
' I am writing/ Scott says, ' over my second pipe.
The sun is still circling our small tent in a cloudless
sky, the air is warm and quiet. All is pleasant with-
out, and within we have a sense of comfort we have
not known for many a day; we shall sleep well to-
night no dreams, no tightening of the belt.
f We have been chattering away gaily, and not once
has the conversation turned to food. We have been
wondering what Christmas is like in England . . .
and how our friends picture us. They will guess that
we are away on our sledge journey, and will perhaps
think of us on plains of snow; but few, I think, will
imagine the truth, that for us this has been the reddest
of all red-letter days/
CHAPTER VI
THE RETURN
How many weary steps
Of many weary miles you have o'ergone,
Are numbered to the travel of one mile.
SHAKESPEARE.
SOME days passed before the pleasing effects of
Christmas Day wore off, for it had been a delightful
break in an otherwise uninterrupted spell of semi-star-
vation, and the memories lingered long after hunger
had again gripped the three travellers. By this time
they knew that they had cut themselves too short in
the matter of food, but the only possible alteration
that could now be made in their arrangements was to
curtail their journey, and rather than do that they
were ready cheerfully to face the distress of having
an enormous appetite, and very little with which to
appease it.
Thinking over the homeward marches after he had
returned to the ship, Scott expresses his emphatic
opinion that the increasing weariness showed that
they were expending their energies at a greater rate
than they could renew them, and that the additional
120
THE RETURN 121
weight, caused by carrying a proper allowance of food,
would have been amply repaid by the preservation of
their full strength and vigour.
Apart, however, from the actual pangs of hunger,
there was another disadvantage from this lack of food,
for try as they would it was impossible not to think
and talk incessantly of eating. Before they went to
sleep it was almost certain that one of them would give
a detailed description of what he considered an ideal
feast, while on the march they found themselves
counting how many footsteps went to the minute, and
how many, therefore, had to be paced before another
rrteal.
But if, during these days of hunger, thoughts of
what they could eat if only the chance was given to
them kept constantly cropping up, there were also very
real compensations for both their mental and physical
weariness. Day by day, as they journeyed on, they
knew that they were penetrating farther and farther
into the unknown. Each footstep was a gain, and
made the result of their labours more assured. And as
they studied the slowly revolving sledge-meter or
looked for the calculated results of their observations,
it is not surprising that above all the desires for food
was an irresistible eagerness to go on and on, and to
extend the line which they were now drawing on the
white space of the Antarctic chart.
Day by day, too, the magnificent panorama of the
western land was passing before their eyes. * Rarely
a march passed without the disclosure of some new
122 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
feature, something on which the eye of man had never
rested; we should have been poor souls indeed had
we not been elated at the privilege of being the first
to gaze on these splendid scenes/
From the point of view of further exploration their
position on December 26 was not very hopeful. On
their right lay a high undulating snow-cap and the
steep irregular coast-line, to the south lay a cape be-
yond which they could not hope to pass, and to all
appearances these conditions were likely to remain to
the end of their journey. But on that night they had
christened a distant and lofty peak ' Mount Long-
staff/ in honour of the man whose generosity had
alone made the expedition possible, and although they
thought that this was the most southerly land to which
they would be able to give a name, they were in no
mood to turn back because the outlook was unpromis-
ing. Arguing on the principle that it was impossible
to tell what may turn up, they all decided to push on;
and their decision was wise, for had they returned at
that point one of the most important features of the
whole coast-line would have been missed.
On the 26th and 27th Wilson had a very bad attack
of snow-blindness, which caused him the most intense
agony. Some clays before Scott had remarked in his
diary upon Wilson's extraordinary industry : ' When
it is fine and clear, at the end of our fatiguing days
he will spend two or three hours seated in the door
of the tent sketching each detail of the splendid
mountainous coast-scene to the west. His sketches
THE RETURN 123
are most astonishingly accurate; I have tested his
proportions by actual angular measurements and found
them correct. . . . But these long hours in the glare
are very bad for the eyes; we have all suffered a good
deal from snow-blindness of late, though we generally
march with goggles, but Wilson gets the worst bouts,
and I fear it is mainly due to his sketching.'
The attack, however, after Christmas was very
much worse than anything that had gone before, and
all day long during the 27th Wilson was pulling along-
side the sledges with his eyes completely covered.
To march blindfold with an empty stomach must
touch the bottom of miserable monotony, but Wilson
had not the smallest intention of giving in. With
Scott walking opposite to him and telling him of
the changes that were happening around them he
plodded steadily on, and during the afternoon of the
27th it happened that a most glorious mountainous
scene gradually revealed itself. With some excite-
ment Scott noticed that new mountain ridges were
appearing as high as anything they had seen to the
north, and his excitement increased when these ridges
grew higher and higher. Then, instead of a downward
turn in the distant outline came a steep upward line,
and as they pressed on apace to see what would happen
next, Scott did his best to keep Wilson posted up in
the latest details. The end came in a gloriously sharp
double peak crowned with a few flecks of cirrus cloud,
and all they could think of in carnp that night was this
splendid twin-peaked mountain, which even in such
124 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
a lofty country looked like a giant among pigmies.
* At last we have found something which is fitting to
bear the name of him whom we must always the most
delight to honour, and " Mount Markham " it shall be
called in memory of the father of the expedition/
Wilson, in spite of his recent experiences, did not
mean to miss this, and however much his eyes had to
suffer the scene had to be sketched. Fortunately a
glorious evening provided a perfect view of their sur-
roundings, for very soon they knew that the limit of
their journey would be reached, and that they would
have but few more opportunities to increase their
stock of information.
After a day that had brought with it both fine
weather and most interesting discoveries, they settled
down in their sleeping-bags, full of hope that the
morrow would be equally kind. But instead of the
proposed advance the whole day had to be spent in the
tent while a strong southerly blizzard raged without,
and when they got up on the following morning they
found themselves enveloped in a thick fog.
Reluctantly the decision was made that this camp
must be their last, and consequently their southerly
limit had been reached. Observations gave it as be-
tween 82:16 S. and 82-17 S., and though this record
may have compared poorly with what Scott had hoped
for when leaving the ship, it was far more favourable
than he anticipated when the dogs had begun to fail
* Whilst/ he says, ' one cannot help a deep sense of
disappointment in reflecting on the " might have been '*
THE RETURN 125
had our team remained in good health, one cannot but
remember that even as it is we have made a greater
advance towards a pole of the earth than has ever yet
been achieved by a sledge party/
With less than a fortnight's provision to take them
back to Depot B, they turned their faces homewards
on the last day of the year, and it was significant
of the terrible condition of the surviving dogs that,
the turn did not cause the smallest excitement.
Many of them were already dead, killed to keep
the others alive, but those which remained seemed
to guess how poor a chance they had of getting back
to the ship. Again and again Scott refers to the
suffering of the dogs on the homeward march, and how
intensely he felt for them is proved beyond all manner
of doubt. ' January 3. This afternoon, shortly after
starting, " Gus " fell, quite played out, and just before
our halt, to our greater grief, " Kid " caved in. One
could almost weep over this last case; he has pulled
like a Trojan throughout, and his stout little heart bore
him up till his legs failed beneath him.' Only seven of
the team now remained, and of them Jim seemed to be
the strongest, but Nigger, though weak, was still
capable of surprising efforts. But at the end of a week
on the return journey, all of the remaining dogs were
asked to do nothing except walk by the sledges.
For several hours on January 7 the men pulled
steadily and covered ten good miles. But the distance
they succeeded in travelling was as nothing compared
with the relief they felt at no longer having to drive
126 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
a worn-out team. In the future no more cheering and
dragging in front would be needed, no more tangled
traces would have to be put straight, and above all
there would be no more whip. So far steady though
rather slow progress had been made, but January 8
brought an unpleasant surprise. Try as they would
the sledge could scarcely be made to move, and after
three hours of the hardest work only a mile and a
quarter had been gained. Sadly they were compelled
to admit that the surface had so completely changed
that the only thing to do was to remain in camp until
it improved. But whether it would improve was an
anxious matter, for they had less than a week's pro-
visions and were at least fifty miles from Depot B.
The next day, however, saw an improvement in the
surface, and a fairly good march was done. By this
time only four dogs were left, Nigger, Jim, Birdie
and Lewis, and poor Nigger was so lost out of harness
that he sometimes got close to the traces and marched
along as if he was still doing his share of the pulling.
But this more or less ordinary day was followed on the
loth by a march in a blizzard that exhausted Scott
and Wilson, and had even a more serious effect upon
Shackleton. With the wind behind them they had
gained many miles, but the march had tired them out,
because instead of the steady pulling to which they
were accustomed they had been compelled sometimes
to run, and sometimes to pull forwards, backwards,
sideways, and always with their senses keenly alert
and their muscles strung up for instant action.
THE RETURN 127
On that night Scott in no very cheerful frame of
mind wrote : * We cannot now be far from our depot,
but then we do not exactly know where we are; there
is not many days' food left, and if this thick weather
continues we shall probably not be able to find it.'
And after two more days of bad surface and thick
weather he wrote again : ' There is no doubt we are
approaching a very critical time. The depot is a very
small spot on a very big ocean of snow; with luck one
might see it at a mile and a half or two miles, and
fortune may direct our course within this radius of it;
but, on the other hand, it is impossible not to contem-
plate the ease with which such a small spot can be
missed. . . . The annoying thing is that one good
clear sight of the land would solve all our difficulties/
At noon on January 13 the outlook was more hope-
less than ever. Three hours' incessant labour had
gained only three-quarters of a mile, and consequently
they had to halt though their food-bag was a mere
trifle to lift, and they could have finished all that
remained in it at one sitting and still have been hungry.
But later on Scott caught a glimpse of the sun in the
tent, and tumbled hastily out of his sleeping-bag in
the hope of obtaining a meridional altitude; and after
getting the very best result he could under the very
difficult conditions prevailing, he casually lowered the
telescope and swept it round the horizon. Suddenly
a speck seemed to flash by, and a vehement hope as
suddenly arose. Then he brought the telescope slowly
back, and there it was again, and accompanied this
128 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
time by two smaller specks on either side of it.
Without a shadow of doubt it was the depot,
which meant the means of life to them. ' I sprang
up and shouted, " Boys, there's the depot/' We
are not a demonstrative party, but I think we ex-
cused ourselves for the wild cheer that greeted this
announcement/
In five minutes everything was packed on the
sledges, but though the work was as heavy as before
the workers were in a very different mood to tackle it.
To reach those distant specks as quickly as possible
was their one desire and all minor troubles were
forgotten as they marched, for before them was the
knowledge, that they were going to have the fat hoosh
which would once more give them an internal sense of
comfort. In two hours they were at the depot, and
there they found everything as they had left it.
On that same morning they had stripped off the
German silver from the runners of one of their sledges,
and now fortified by the fat hoosh of their dreams they
completed the comparison between the two sledges,
which respectively had metal and wood runners.
Having equalised the weights as much as possible they
towed the sledges round singly, and found that two of
them could scarcely move the metalled sledge as fast
as one could drag the other.
Of course they decided to strip the second sledge,
and with only about 130 miles to cover to their next
depot, a full three weeks' provisions, and the prospect
of better travelling on wood runners, they went to bed
THE RETURN 129
feeling that a heavy load of anxiety had been lifted.
The chief cause of worry left was the question of
health, and the result of a thorough medical examina-
tion on the morning of the I4th did nothing to remove
this. Shackleton was found to be very far indeed
from well, but although Scott and Wilson both showed
symptoms of scurvy they still felt that, as far as they
were concerned, there was no danger of a breakdown.
On that day they made a fairly good march, but
at the end of it Wilson had to warn Scott that Shackle-
ton's condition was really alarming. Commenting on
this Scott wrote : ' It's a bad case, but we must make
the best of it and trust to its not getting worse; now
that human life is at stake, all other objects must be
sacrificed. ... It went to my heart to give the order,
but it had to be done, and the dogs are to be killed in
the morning.
* One of the difficulties we foresee with Shackleton,
with his restless, energetic spirit, is to keep him idle
in camp, so to-night I have talked seriously to him.
He is not to do any camping work, but to allow every-
thing to be done for him. . . . Every effort must be
devoted to keeping him on his legs, and we must trust
to luck to bring him through/
With the morning of the I5th came the last scene
in the tragic story of the dogs, and poor Nigger and
Jim, the only survivors of that team of nineteen, were
taken a short distance from the camp and killed. ' I
think we could all have wept. , . , Through our most
troublous time we always looked forward to getting
130 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
some of our animals home. At first it was to have
been nine, then seven, then five, and at the last we
thought that surely we should be able to bring back
these two/
During the part of the return journey which was
now beginning, they had promised themselves an
easier time, but instead of that it resolved itself into
days of grim struggle to save a sick companion. The
weather also added to their troubles, because it was so
overcast that steering was extremely difficult. For
nearly ten consecutive days this gloomy weather con-
tinued to harass them, but on the 2Oth it cleared as
they were on their march, and on the following day
with a brisk southerly breeze and their sail set they
travelled along at a fine rate. The state of Shackle-
ton's health was still a source of acutest anxiety, but
each march brought safety nearer and nearer, and on
the 23rd Scott was able to write in a much more hope-
ful spirit. Next day a glimpse of the Bluff to the north
was seen, but this encouraging sight was accompanied
by a new form of surface which made the pulling very
wearisome. An inch or so beneath the soft snow sur-
face was a thin crust, almost, but not quite, sufficient
to bear their weight. The work of breaking such a
surface as this would, Scott says, have finished Shackle-
ton in no time, but luckily he was able to go on ski and
avoid the jars. ' In spite of our present disbelief
in ski, one is bound to confess that if we get back
safely Shackleton will owe much to the pair he is
now using.'
THE RETURN
But in spite of bad surfaces and increasingly heavy
work, Scott and Wilson were determined to leave as
little as possible to chance, and to get their invalid
along as quickly as his condition would allow. Directly
breakfast was over Shackleton started off and got well
ahead, while Scott and Wilson packed up camp; and
after lunch the same procedure was adopted. By this
means he was able to take things easily, and though
eager to do his share of the work he was wise enough
to see that every precaution taken was absolutely
necessary.
Encouragements in this stern struggle were few
and far between, but when the smoke of Erebus was
seen on the 25th, it cheered them to think that they had
seen something that was actually beyond the ship.
Probably it was more than a hundred miles away, but
they had become so accustomed to seeing things
at a distance that they were not in the least astonished
by this.
January 26, too, had its consolations, for while
plodding on as usual the travellers suddenly saw a
white line ahead, and soon afterwards discovered that
it was a sledge track. There was no doubt that the
track was Barriers on his way back from his survey
work to the west, but it was wonderful what that
track told them. They could see that there had been
six men with two sledges, and that all of the former
had been going strong and well on ski. From the
state of the track this party had evidently passed about
four days before on the homeward route, and from
132 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the zig-zagging of the course it was agreed that the
weather must have been thick at the time. Every
imprint in the soft snow added some small fact, and
the whole made an excellent detective study. But the
main point was that they knew for certain that Barne
and his party were safe, and this after their own ex-
periences was a great relief.
Another day and a half of labour brought them to
the depot, and the land of plenty. ' Directly/ Scott
wrote on the 28th, ' our tent was up we started our
search among the snow-heaps with childish glee. One
after another our treasures were brought forth: oil
enough for the most lavish expenditure, biscuit that
might have lasted us for a month, and, finally, a large
brown provision-bag which we knew would contain
more than food alone. We have just opened this pro-
vision-bag and feasted our eyes on the contents.
There are two tins of sardines, a large tin of marma-
lade, soup squares, pea soup, and many other delights
that already make our mouths water. For each one of
us there is some special trifle which the forethought
of our kind people has provided, mine being an extra
packet of tobacco; and last, but not least, there are
a whole heap of folded letters and notes billets-doux
indeed. I wonder if a mail was ever more acceptable/
The news, too, was good; Royds, after desperate
labour, had succeeded in rescuing the boats; Blissett
had discovered an Emperor penguin's egg, and his
messmates expected him to be knighted. But the
meal itself, though 'pure joy' at first, was not an
THE RETURN 133
unqualified success, for after being accustomed to
starvation or semi-starvation rations, they were in no
condition either to resist or to digest any unstinted
meal, and both Scott and Wilson suffered acutely.
On the next morning they awoke to find a heavy
blizzard, and the first thought of pushing on at all
hazards was abandoned when Shackleton was found to
be extremely ill. Everything now depended upon the
weather, for should the blizzard continue Scott doubted
if Shackleton would even be well enough to be carried
on the sledge. ' It is a great disappointment; last
night we thought ourselves out of the wood with all
our troubles behind us, and to-night matters seem
worse than ever. Luckily Wilson and I are pretty fit,
and we have lots of food/ By great luck the weather
cleared on the morning of the 3Oth, and as Shackleton
after a very bad night revived a little it was felt that
the only chance was to go on. ' At last he was got
away, and we watched him almost tottering along with
frequent painful halts. Re-sorting our provisions, in
half an hour we had packed our camp, set our sail,
and started with the sledges. It was not long before
we caught our invalid, who was so exhausted that we
thought it wiser he should sit on the sledges, where
for the remainder of the forenoon, with the help of our
sail, we carried him/
In Wilson's opinion Shackleton's relapse was mainly
due to the blizzard, but fortune favoured them during
the last stages of the struggle homewards, and the
glorious weather had a wonderful effect upon the
I 3 4 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
sick man. By the night of February 2 they were
within ten or twelve miles of their goal, and saw a
prospect of a successful end to their troubles. During
the afternoon they had passed round the corner of
White Island, and as they did so the old familiar out-
line of the friendly peninsula suddenly opened up be-
fore them. On every side were suggestions of home,
and their joy at seeing the well-known landmarks
was increased by the fact that they were as nearly
' spent as three persons can well be/
Shackleton, it is true, had lately shown an improve-
ment, but his companions placed but little confidence
in that, for they knew how near he had been, and still
was, to a total collapse. And both Scott and Wilson
knew also that their scurvy had again been advancing
rapidly, but they scarcely dared to admit either to
themselves or each other how ' done ' they were. For
many a day Wilson had suffered from lameness, and
each morning had vainly tried to disguise his limp, but
from his set face Scott knew well enough how much
he suffered before the first stiffness wore off, ( As for
myself, for some time I have hurried through the task
of changing my foot-gear in an attempt to forget
that my ankles are considerably swollen. One and
all we want rest and peace, and, all being well, tor-
morrow, thank Heaven, we shall get them/
These are the final words written in Scott's sledge-
diary during this remarkable journey, for on the next
morning they packed up their camp for the last time
and set their faces towards Observation Hill. Brilliant
THE RETURN 135
weather still continued, and after plodding on for some
hours two specks appeared, which at first were thought
to be penguins, but presently were seen to be men
hurrying towards them. Early in the morning they
had been reported by watchers on the hills, and Skelton
and Bernacchi had hastened out to meet them.
Then the tent was put up, and while cocoa was made
they listened to a ceaseless stream of news, for not only
had all the other travellers returned safe and sound
with many a tale to tell, but the relief ship, the
Morning, had also arrived and brought a whole year's
news.
So during their last lunch and during the easy
march that followed, they gradually heard of the
events in the civilised world from December, 1901, to
December, 1902, and these kept their thoughts busy
until they rounded the cape and once more saw their
beloved ship.
Though still held fast in her icy prison the Dis-
covery looked trim and neat, and to mark the especial
nature of the occasion a brave display of bunting
floated gently in the breeze, while as they approached,
the side and the rigging were thronged with their
cheering comrades.
With every want forestalled, and every trouble
lifted from their shoulders by companions vying with
one another to attend to them, no welcome could have
been more delightful, and yet at the time it appeared
unreal to their dull senses. ' It seemed too good to
be true that all our anxieties had so completely ended,
136 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
and that rest for brain and limb was ours at last/
For ninety-three days they had plodded over a vast
snow-field and slept beneath the fluttering canvas of
a tent; during that time they had covered 960 statute
miles; and if the great results hoped for in the be-
ginning had not been completely achieved, they knew
at any rate that they had striven and endured to the
limit of their powers.
CHAPTER VII
A SECOND WINTER
As cold waters to a thirsty soul,
So is good news from a far country.
PROVERBS.
IN a very short time Scott discovered that the
sledging resources of the ship had been used to
their fullest extent during his absence, and that
parties had been going and coming and ever adding
to the collection of knowledge.
On November 2 Royds had gone again to Cape
Crozier to see how the Emperor penguins were faring,
and in the meantime such rapid progress had been
made in the preparations for the western party that
November 9, being King Edward's birthday, was pro-
claimed a general holiday and given up to the eagerly
anticipated athletic sports.
Of all the events perhaps the keenest interest was
shown in the toboggan race, for which the men entered
in pairs. Each couple had to provide their own tobog-
gan, subject to the rule that no sledge, or part of a
sledge, and no ski should be used. The start was high
up the hillside, and as the time for it approached the
137
138 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
queerest lot of toboggans gradually collected. The
greater number were roughly made from old boxes
and cask staves, but something of a sensation was
caused when the canny Scottish carpenter's mate
arrived with a far more pretentious article, though
built from the same material. In secret he had de-
voted himself to making what was really a very pass-
able sledge, and when he and his companion secured
themselves to this dark horse, the result of the race
was considered a foregone conclusion. But soon after
the start it was seen that this couple had laboured in
vain; for although they shot ahead at first, their
speed was so great that they could not control their
machine. In a moment they were rolling head-over-
heels in clouds of snow, and while the hare was thus
amusing itself a tortoise slid past and won the race.
By the end of November everything was ready for
the western journey, and a formidable party set out
on the 2pth to cross McMurdo Sound and attack the
mainland. In Armitage's own party were Skelton and
ten men, while the supports consisted of Koettlite,
Ferrar, Dellbridge and six men. Excellent pioneer
work was done by Armitage and his party during their
seven weeks' journey. Without a doubt a practicable
road to the interior was discovered and traversed, and
the barrier of mountains that had seemed so formi-
dable an obstruction from the ship was conquered. It
was equally certain that the party could claim to be
the first to set foot on the interior of Victoria Land,
but they had been forced to turn back at an extremely
A SECOND WINTER 139
interesting point, and in consequence were unable to
supply very definite information with regard to the ice-
cap. They had, however, fulfilled their main object,
and in doing so had disclosed problems that caused
the deepest interest to be focussed upon the direction
in which they had travelled.
Perhaps the most promising circumstance of all was
that among the rock specimens brought back were
fragments of quartz-grits. These, with other obser-
vations, showed the strong probability of the existence
of sedimentary deposits which might be reached and
examined, and which alone could serve to reveal the
geological history of this great southern continent.
At all hazards Scott determined that the geologist of
the expedition must be given a chance to explore this
most interesting region.
The extensive preparations for the western journey
had practically stripped the ship of sledge equipment,
and those who went out on shorter journeys were
obliged to make the best of the little that remained.
This did not, however, baulk their energies, and by
resorting to all kinds of shifts and devices they made
many useful expeditions.
While these efforts at exploration were being carried
out the ship was left in the charge of Royds, who
employed every one on board in the most important
task of freeing the boats. Drastic measures had
to be taken before they could be released from
their beds of ice, and with sawing and blasting
going on in the unseen depths, it was not possible
140 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
that the task could be accomplished without doing
considerable damage. When at length all of them
had been brought to the surface their condition was
exceedingly dilapidated; indeed only two of them were
in a condition to float; but although it was evident
that the carpenter would be busy for many weeks
before they would be seaworthy, their reappearance was
a tremendous relief.
Long before his departure to the south, Scott had
given instructions that the Discovery should be pre-
pared for sea by the end of January. Consequently,
after the boats had been freed, there was still plenty
of employment for everybody, since ' preparations
for sea J under such circumstances meant a most
prodigious amount of labour. Tons and tons of snow
had to be dug out from the deck with pick-axes and
shovelled over the side; aloft, sails and ropes had to
be looked to, the running-gear to be re-rove, and every-
thing got ready for handling the ship under sail; many
things that had been displaced or landed near the
shore-station had to be brought on board and secured
in position; thirty tons of ice had to be fetched,
melted, and run into the boilers; below, steam-pipes
had 'to be rejointed, glands re-packed, engines turned
by hand, and steam raised to see that all was in work-
ing order.
Not doubting that the ice would soon break up and
release the ship, this work was carried on so vigorously
that when the southern travellers returned all was
ready for them to put to sea again.
A SECOND WINTER 141
But eleven days before Scott and his com-
panions struggled back to safety the great event of
the season had happened in the arrival of the
Morning. How the funds were raised by means of
which this ship was sent is a tale in itself; briefly,
however, it was due to the untiring zeal and singleness
of purpose shown by Sir Clements Markham that the
Morning, commanded by Lieutenant William Colbeck,
R.N.R., was able to leave the London Docks on
July 9, 1902.
Long before the Discovery had left New Zealand
the idea of a relief ship had been discussed, and al-
though Scott saw great difficulties in the way, he also
felt quite confident that if the thing was to be done
Sir Clements was the man to do it. Obviously then
it was desirable to leave as much information as
possible on the track, and the relief ship was to try
and pick up clues at the places where Scott had said
that he would attempt to leave them. These
places were Cape Adare, Possession Islands, Coul-
man Island, Wood Bay, Franklin Island and Cape
Crozier.
On January 8 a landing was effected at Cape Adare,
and there Colbeck heard of the Discovery's safe arrival
in the south. The Possession Islands were drawn
blank, because Scott had not been able to land there,
and south of this the whole coast was so thickly
packed that the Morning could not approach either
Coulman Is.land or Wood Bay.
Franklin Island was visited on January 14, but
142 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
without result; and owing to the quantities of pack-
ice it was not until four days later that a landing was
made at Cape Crozier. Colbeck himself joined the
landing party, and after spending several hours in
fruitless search, he was just giving up the hunt and
beginning despondently to wonder what he had better
do next, when suddenly a small post was seen on the
horizon. A rush was made for it, and in a few
minutes Colbeck knew that he had only to steer into
the mysterious depths of McMurdo Sound to find the
Discovery, and practically to accomplish the work
he had set out to do.
On board the Discovery the idea had steadily grown
that a relief ship would come. For no very clear
reason the men had begun to look upon it as a certainty,
and during the latter part of January it was not un-
common for wild rumours to be spread that smoke
had been seen to the north. Such reports, therefore,
were generally received without much excitement, but
when a messenger ran down the hill on the night of
the 23rd to say that there was actually a ship in sight
the enthusiasm was intense. Only the most imper-
turbable of those on board could sleep much during that
night, and early on the 24th a large party set out over
the floe. The Morning was lying some ten miles north
of the Discovery, but it was far easier to see her than
to reach her. At last, however, the party, after various
little adventures, stood safely on deck and received
the warmest of welcomes.
During the last week of January the weather was
A SECOND WINTER 143
in its most glorious mood, and with some of the
treacherous thin ice breaking away the Morning was
able to get a mile nearer. Parties constantly passed to
and fro between the two ships, and every one with
unshaken confidence that the Discovery would soon
be free gave themselves up to the delight of fresh
companionship, and the joy of good news from the
home country. To this scene of festivity and cheeri-
ness Scott, Wilson and Shackleton returned on
February 3, and though the last to open their letters
they had the satisfaction of knowing that the Morning
had brought nothing but good news.
By a curious coincidence Colbeck chose the night
of the Southern party's return to make his first visit
to the Discovery, and soon after Scott had come out of
his delicious bath and was revelling in the delight of
clean clothes, he had the pleasure of welcoming him on
board. ' In those last weary marches over the barrier/
Scott says, ' I had little expected that the first feast
in our home quarters would be taken with strange faces
gathered round our festive table, but so it was, and
I can well remember the look of astonishment that
dawned on those faces when we gradually displayed
our power of absorbing food/
But however difficult the appetites of the party
were to appease, for a fortnight after they had reached
the ship their condition was very wretched. Shackle-
ton at once went to bed, and although he soon tried to
be out and about again, the least exertion caused a
return of his breathlessness, and he still suffered from
144 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the violent fits of coughing that had troubled him so
much on the journey. With Wilson, who at one time
had shown the least signs of scurvy, the disease had
increased so rapidly at the end that on his return he
wisely decided to go to bed, where he remained quietly
for ten days. * Wilson/ Scott wrote on February 16,
* is a very fine fellow, his pluck and go were everything
on our southern journey; one felt he wouldn't give in
till he dropped/ And this collapse when he got back
to the ship was in itself a proof of the determination
which must have upheld him during the last marches.
Scott, though the least affected of the three, was
also by no means fit and well. Both his legs were
swollen and his gums were very uncomfortable, but in
addition to these troubles he was attacked by an over-
whelming feeling of both physical and mental weari-
ness. ' Many days passed/ he says, * before I could
rouse myself from this slothful humour, and it was
many weeks before I had returned to a normally vigor-
ous condition. It was probably this exceptionally re-
laxed state of health that made me so slow to realise
that the ice conditions were very different from what
they had been in the previous season. . . . The pros-
pect of the ice about us remaining fast throughout the
season never once entered my head/ His diary, how-
ever, for the month shows how he gradually awakened
to the true state of affairs, and on February 13 he de-
cided to begin the transport of stores from the Morn-
ing to the Discovery, so that the former ship ' should
run no risk of being detained/ And on the i8th when
A SECOND WINTER 145
he paid his first visit to the Morning, and found the.
journey ' an awful grind/ he had begun to wonder
whether the floe was ever going to break up.
A week later he was clearly alive to the situation,
1 The Morning must go in less than a week, and it
seems now impossible that we shall be free by that
time, though I still hope the break-up may come after
she has departed.' Some time previously he had de-
cided that if they had to remain the ship's company
should be reduced, and on the 24th he had a talk with
the men and told them that he wished nobody to stop
on board who was not willing. On the following day
a list was sent round for the names of those who
wanted to go, and the result was curiously satisfactory
for Scott had determined that eight men should go,
and not only were there eight names on the list, but
they were also precisely those which Scott would have
put there had he made the selection. Shackleton also
had to be told that he must go, as in his state of health
Scott did not think that any further hardships ought
to be risked; but in his place Scott 'requisitioned
Mulock who by an extraordinary chance is just the
very man we wanted. We have now an immense
amount of details for charts . . . and Mulock is ex-
cellent at this work and as keen as possible. It is
rather amusing, as he is the only person who is ob-
viously longing for the ice to stop in, though of course
he doesn't say so. The other sporting characters are
still giving ten to one that it will go out, but I am
bound to confess that I am not sanguine/
I 4 6 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
The letter from which the last extract is taken
was begun on February 16, and before the end of the
month all hope of the Discovery being able to leave
with the Morning had been abandoned. On March 2
nearly the whole of the Discovery's company were
entertained on board the Morning, and on the following
day the relief ship slowly backed away from the ice-
edge, and in a few minutes she was turning to the
north, with every rope and spar outlined against the
black northern sky. Cheer after cheer was raised as
she gathered way, and long after she had passed out of
earshot the little band stood gazing at her receding
hull, and wondering when they too would be able to
take the northern track.
In the Morning went a letter from Scott which
shows that although in a sense disappointed by the
prospect of having to remain for another winter, both
he and his companions were not by any means dis-
mayed. * It is poor luck/ he wrote, ' as I was dead
keen on getting a look round C North before making
for home. However we all take it philosophically, and
are perfectly happy and contented on board, and shall
have lots to do in winter, spring and summer. We will
have a jolly good try to free the ship next year, though
I fear manual labour doesn't go far with such terribly
heavy ice as we have here; but this year we were of
course unprepared, and when we realised the situation
it was too late to begin anything like extensive opera-
tions. I can rely on every single man that remains in
the ship and I gave them all the option of leaving . , .
A SECOND WINTER 147
the ship's company is now practically naval-officers and
men it is rather queer when one looks back to the
original gift of two officers/
Referring to the Southern journey he says, "We
cut our food and fuel too fine. ... I never knew be-
fore what it was to be hungry; at times we were fam-
ished and had to tighten our belts nightly before going
to sleep. The others dreamt of food snatched away at
the last moment, but this didn't bother me so much/
But characteristically the greater part of this long
letter refers not to his own doings, but to the admi-
rable qualities of those who were with him. Wilson,
Royds, Skelton, Hodgson, Barne and Bernacchi are all
referred to in terms of the warmest praise, and for the
manner in which Colbeck managed the relief expedition
the greatest admiration is expressed. But in some way
or other Scott discovered good points in all the officers
he mentioned, and if they were not satisfactory in
every way his object seemed to be rather to excuse
than to blame them. He was, however, unaffectedly
glad to see the last of the cook, for the latter had shown
himself far more capable at talking than at cooking,
and had related so many of his wonderful adventures
that one of the sailors reckoned that the sum total of
these thrilling experiences must have extended over a
period of five hundred and ninety years which, as
the sailor said, was a fair age even for a cook.
By March 14 even the most optimistic of the com-
pany were compelled to admit the certainty of a
second winter, and orders were given to prepare the
148 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
ship for it. Compared with the previous year the
weather had been a great deal worse, for there had
been more wind and much lower temperatures, and
under such conditions it was hopeless to go on expect-
ing the ice to break up. But it was not to be won-
dered at that they found themselves wondering what
their imprisonment meant. Was it the present sum-
mer or the last that was the exception? For them
this was the gravest question, since on the answer to it
their chance of getting away next year, or at all,
depended.
While, however, the situation as regards the future
was not altogether without anxiety, they sturdily
determined to make the best of the present. To
ward off any chance of scurvy, it was determined to
keep rigidly to a fresh-meat routine throughout the
winter, and consequently a great number of seals and
skuas had to be killed. At first the skua had been
regarded as unfit for human food, but Skelton on a
sledging trip had caught one in a noose and promptly
put it into the pot. And the result was so satisfactory
that the skua at once began to figure prominently on
the menu. They had, however, to deplore the absence
of penguins from their winter diet, because none had
been seen near the ship for a long time.
On Wednesday, April 24, the sun departed, but
Scott remarks upon this rather dismal fact with the
greatest cheerfulness : * It would be agreeable to know
what is going to happen next year, but otherwise we
have no wants. Our routine goes like clock-work;
A SECOND WINTER 149
we eat, sleep, work and play at regular hours, and
are never in lack of employment. Hockey, I fear,
must soon cease for lack of light, but it has been a
great diversion, although not unattended with risks, for
yesterday I captured a black eye from a ball furiously
driven by Royds.'
Of the months that followed little need be said,
except that Scott's anticipations were fully realised.
In fact the winter passed by without a hitch, and their
second mid-winter day found them even more cheerful
than their first. Hodgson continued to work away
with his fish-traps, tow-nets and dredging; Mulock,
who had been trained as a surveyor and had great
natural abilities for the work, was most useful, first
in collecting and re-marking all the observations, and
later on in constructing temporary charts; while Barne
generally vanished after breakfast and spent many a
day at his distant sounding holes.
Throughout the season the routine of scientific
observations was carried out in the same manner as in
the previous year, while many new details were added;
and so engaged was every one in serviceable work
that when the second long Polar night ended, Scott
was able to write : * I do not think there is a soul on
board the Discovery who would say that it has been
a hardship. ... All thoughts are turned towards the
work that lies before us, and it would be difficult to be
blind to the possible extent of its usefulness. Each
day has brought it more home to us how little we
know and how much there is to be learned, and we
150 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
realise fully that this second year's work may more
than double the value of our observations. Life in
these regions has lost any terror it ever possessed for
us, for we know that, come what may, we can live,
and live well, for any reasonable number of years
to come.'
CHAPTER VIII
THE WESTERN JOURNEY
Path of advance! but it leads
A long* steep journey through sunk
Gorges, o'er mountains in snow. M. ARNOLD.
DURING the second winter much time and attention
had to be given to the sledge equipment, for there was
scarcely an article in it that did not need to be
thoroughly overhauled and refitted. But in spite of
all their efforts, the outfit for the coming season was
bound to be a tattered and makeshift affair. Skins
of an inferior quality had to be used for sleeping-
bags; the tents were blackened with use, threadbare
in texture, and patched in many places; the cooking
apparatus was considerably the worse for wear; the
wind clothes were almost worn out, while for all the
small bags, which were required for provisions, they
were obliged to fall back on any sheets and table-
cloths that could be found. This state of things, how-
ever, was very far from daunting their spirits, and long
before the winter was over the plan of campaign for
the next season had been drawn up.
In making the programme Scott knew that extended
15*
152 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
journeys could only be made by properly supported
parties, and it was easy to see that his small company
would not be able to make more than two supported
journeys, though it might be just possible to make a
third more or less lengthy journey without support.
The next thing to decide was in what direction these
parties should go, and in this connection the greatest
interest undoubtedly lay in the west. To explore the
Ferrar Glacier from a geological point of view and find
out the nature of the interior ice-cap must, Scott de-
termined, be attempted at all costs, and this journey
to the west he decided to lead himself.
In the south it was evident that without dogs no
party could hope to get beyond the point already
reached. But Scott's journey had been made a long
way from land, and consequently had left many
problems unsolved, chief among which were the ex-
traordinary straits that had appeared to run through
the mountain ranges without rising in level. It was
therefore with the main object of exploring one of
them that the second supported party, under the leader-
ship of Barne and Mulock, was to set out.
The credit in arranging the direction in which the
unsupported party should go belongs to Bernacchi,
who was the first to ask Scott what proof they had
that the barrier surface continued on a level to the
eastward; and when Scott began to consider this
question, he discovered that there was no definite
proof, and decided that the only way to get it was to
go and see.
THE WESTERN JOURNEY 153
Besides the longer journeys, the programme in-
cluded a number of shorter ones for specific purposes,
and the most important of these were the periodic
visits to the Emperor penguin rookery, as it was hoped
that Wilson would be able to observe these birds from
the beginning of their breeding season.
Finally, one important factor was to dominate all
the sledging arrangements, for although the Discovery
was mainly at the mercy of natural causes, Scott made
up his mind that everything man could do to free her
from the ice should be done. As soon as they could
hope to make any impression upon the great ice-sheet
around them, the whole force of the company was to
set to work at the task of extrication, and so all sledg-
ing journeys were to start in time to assure their re-
turn to the ship by the middle of December.
On September 9 Scott got away with his own party
of Skelton, Dailey, Evans, Lashly and Handsley, their
object being to find a new road to the Ferrar Glacier,
and on it to place a depot ready for a greater effort
over the ice-cap. The Ferrar Glacier descends grad-
ually to the inlet, which had been named New Har-
bour, but Armitage had reported most adversely on
this inlet as a route for sledges, and in conducting his
own party had led it across the high foot-hills. As yet
Scott had not been to thi^ region, but in the nature of
things he could not help thinking that some practical
route must exist up the New Harbour inlet, and that if
it could be found the journey to the west would be
much easier. And the result of this little journey
154 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
was really important, for whereas Armitage, at the
foot of the Ferrar Glacier, had seen the disturbance
on the south side, and had concluded that it must
extend right across, Scott's party fortunately pushed
over this disturbance and found much easier conditions
beyond it.
The fact thus discovered, and which was amply
supported by further observations, was that invariably
in the Antarctic regions where glaciers run more or less
east and west, the south side will be found to be much
broken up and decayed, while the north side will be
comparatively smooth and even. The reason of this,
of course, is simple enough, for the sun achieves its
highest altitude in the north, and consequently its
warmest and most direct rays fall on the south side
of a valley. Here, therefore, the greater part of the
summer melting takes place, and a wild chaos of ice
disturbance is caused.
Scott's party, by taking a different route, laid a
depot at a spot which Armitage had taken three weeks
to reach, and was back again at the ship in less than
a fortnight.
' We were/ Scott says, ' inclined to be exceedingly
self-satisfied; we had accomplished our object with
unexpected ease, we had done a record march, and we
had endured record temperatures at least, we thought
so, and thought also how pleasant it would be to tell
these things in front of a nice bright fire. As we ap-
proached the ship, however, Hodgson came out to greet
us, and his first question was, "What temperatures
THE WESTERN JOURNEY 155
have you had ? " We replied by complacently quoting
our array of minus fifties, but he quickly cut us short
by remarking that we were not in it/
In fact during those few days there had been a
very cold snap throughout the region. Barne's party
on the barrier, where they had been laying a depot,
had the coldest time, and after their thermometer
had fallen lower and lower its spirit-column broke
at 67 7. Royds and his party also had to endure
62, but in other respects they were in luck. For
on arriving at Cape Crozier they found that the Em-
peror penguins had already hatched out their young,
and Wilson was delighted to get the opportunity of
studying the chicks at such a tender age. Commenting
upon this and another journey to Cape Crozier, Wilson
wrote : ' The Emperor penguin stands nearly four feet
high, and weighs upward of eighty to ninety pounds.
... I think the chickens hate their parents, and
when one watches the proceedings in a rookery it
strikes one as not surprising. In the first place there
is about one chick to ten or twelve adults, and each
adult has an overpowering desire to " sit " on some-
thing. Both males and females want to nurse, and
the result is that when a chicken finds himself alone
there is a rush on the part of a dozen unemployed to
seize him. Naturally he runs away, and dodges here
and there till a six-stone Emperor falls on him, and
then begins a regular football scrimmage, in which
each tries to hustle the other off, and the end is too
often disastrous to the chick. ... I think it is not
156 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
an exaggeration to say that of the 77 per cent, that
die no less than half are killed by kindness/
From Cape Crozier Cross resolved to try to bring
two chickens back to the ship, and by giving up his
sleeping jacket to keep them warm and tending them
with the utmost care, he succeeded in his attempt.
But eventually they died from unnatural feeding,
and Wilson says : ' Had we even succeeded in bringing
them to the age when they put on their feathers, I
fear that the journey home through the tropics would
have proved too much for them, as we had no means
cf making a cool place for them on the ship/
September 21 brought with it a grievous disap-
pointment, as on that day the nautical almanac
announced that nine-tenths of the sun would be
obscured. For this event Bernacchi had made the
most careful preparations, and every one was placed
under his orders during the day. Telescopes and the
spectroscopic camera were trained in the right direc-
tion, magnetic instruments were set to run at quick
speed, and observers were told off to watch everything
on which the absence of sun could possibly have the
smallest effect. Everything, in short, was ready
except the sun itself which obstinately refused to come
out. ' There may/ Scott says, * have been an eclipse
of the sun on September 21, 1903, as the almanac said,
but we should none of us have liked to swear to the
fact/
The next three weeks or so were spent in prepara-
tions for the long journeys, and on October 12 Scott
THE WESTERN JOURNEY 157
left the ship with a party of twelve, and four n-foot
sledges. First came his own party, which included
Skelton, Feather, Evans, Lashly and Handsley;
secondly there was a small party for the geologist,
Ferrar, who was accompanied by Kennar and Weller;
and thirdly there were the supports, consisting of
Dailey, Williamson and Plumley.
Scott guessed rightly that in many respects this was
going to te the hardest task he had yet undertaken, but
he knew also that experience would be a thing to be
reckoned upon, and that it would take a good deal to
stop the determined men whom he had chosen. At
the start their loads were a little over 200 Ibs. per man,
but most of the party were by this time in thoroughly
good condition, and by hard marching they covered the
forty-five miles to New Harbour and reached the
snow-cape early on the I4th.
This snow-cape in future was to be known as Butter
Point, for here on their return journey they could
hope to obtain fresh seal-meat, and in preparation
for this great event a tin of butter was carried and
left at the point for each party.
At first all went well with the travellers, and it was
not until the evening of the I7th, when they were
camped amid indescribably beautiful scenery, that
the first cloud of trouble arose. Then Dailey the
carpenter reported that the German silver had split
under the runners of two sledges, and this was a most
serious blow; for although the wood runners were
capable of running on snow without protection, on
158 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
hard, sharp ice, especially if the sledge was heavily
laden, they would be knocked to pieces in a very short
time. It was, therefore, absolutely necessary to
protect the runners on this journey, but unfortunately
the German silver protection had already stood a
season's work, and had worn thin without giving any
outward sign.
From start to finish of the Ferrar Glacier about
ninety miles of hard ice were to be expected, and the
problem that immediately arose was how to get the
sledges over this without damage.
By lunch-time on the i8th they had achieved a
height of over 6,000 feet, and by that time the sledges
were in such a parlous state that Scott had all of them
unpacked and the runners turned up for inspection.
Horrid revelations followed; one sledge remained
sound, and Scott promptly decided that there was one
course and only one to take, and that was to return
to the ship as fast as they could. Had two sledges
been available the advance party might have struggled
on, but with one they could do nothing; so they left
the sound sledge with everything else except the
half-week's provisions necessary to take them back,
and on the following days they ' came as near flying
as is possible with a sledge party/ On the morning
of the igth they had eighty-seven miles to cover,
and by 8.30 P.M. on the 2ist they had reached the
ship.
During this march Scott had determined to test
his own party to the utmost, but seeing no necessity
THE WESTERN JOURNEY 159
for the supports to be dragged into this effort he told
them to take their own time. The supporting party,
however, did not mean to be left behind if they could
help it, and later on the night of the 2ist they also
reached the ship. In the hard struggle of the last
hours some of the members of the supporting party,
though determined not to give in, had been comically
astounded by the pace which was set, and Kennar,
presumably referring to Scott, kept on repeating,
' If he can do it, I don't see why I can't: my legs are
as long as his/
Five days after their flying return they were off
again, and although the material for repairing sledges
was very scanty, one sound n-foot sledge had been
made and also a 7-foot one for Ferrar's glacier
work. Trouble, however, almost at once began with
the runners, and on the 2pth Ferrar's sledge gave out
and caused a long delay. But in spite of being held
up by wind for two days, they reached their depot on
November i, and thought at first that every thing-
was safe. On examination, however, they discovered
that a violent gale had forced open the lid of the
instrument box, and that several things were missing,
among which Scott found to his dismay was the
* Hints to Travellers. 7
' The gravity of this blow/ he wrote in his diary
on November I, 'can scarcely be exaggerated; but
whilst I realised the blow I felt that nothing would
induce me to return to the ship a second time; I
thought it fair, however, to put the case to the others,
160 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
and I am, as I expected, fortified by their willing con-
sent to take the risks of pushing on/
In travelling to the west, Scott expected to be as
indeed he was out of sight of landmarks for some
weeks. In such a case as this the sledge-traveller
is in precisely the same position as a ship or a boat
at sea : he can only obtain a knowledge of his where-
abouts by observation of the sun or stars, and with
the help of these observations he finds his latitude
and longitude, but to do this a certain amount of
data is required. ' Hints to Travellers ' supplies these
necessary data, and it was on this book that Scott
had been relying to help him to work out his sights
and fix accurately the position of his party. Unless
he went back to the ship to make good his loss, he
was obliged to take the risk of marching into the
unknown without knowing exactly where he was or
how he was to get back. 'If/ he says, 'the loss of
our " Hints to Travellers " did not lead us into serious
trouble it caused me many a bad half-hour/
Having, however, decided to push on, they wasted
no time about it, and although the sledge-runners
continued to need constant attention they arrived at
the base of the upper glacier reach on the 2nd, and
on the following day gained a height of 7,000 feet.
So far nothing exceptionally eventful had occurred,
but November 4 was destined to begin a time that
Scott described afterwards as 'the most miserable
week I have ever spent/ In the morning of the 4th
there was bright sunshine with a cold, increasing wind,
THE WESTERN JOURNEY 161
but later on the sun disappeared and the weather
became very threatening. Still, however, they battled
on and were half-way up the bare, icy slope they were
climbing, when the air became thick with driving
snow and the full force of the gale burst upon them.
Pushing on at almost a run they succeeded in reaching
the top, and hurriedly started to search for a patch
of snow on which to camp, but nothing could be found
except bare, blue ice. By this time the position was
becoming serious, all of them were frost-bitten in the
face, and although the runners of the sledges were
split again so badly that they could barely pull them
over the surface, they did not dare to leave the sledges
in the thick drift.
At last a white patch was seen and a rush was made
for it, but the snow discovered was so ancient and
wind-swept that it was almost as hard as the ice itself.
Nevertheless they knew it was this or nothing, and
Scott seized a shovel for his own tent-party, and dug
for all he was worth without making the least im-
pression. At this moment Feather, the boatswain,
luckily came to help him, and being more expert with
the shovel managed to chip out a few small blocks.
Then they tried to get up a tent, but again and again
it and the poles were blown flat, and at least an hour
passed before the tents were erected. * Nothing/
Scott wrote, * but experience saved us from disaster
to-day, for I feel pretty confident that we could not
have stood another hour in the open/
Little, however, did they expect when shelter
162 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
was gained that a week would pass before they could
resume their march. From November 4-11 the gale
raged unceasingly, and meanwhile not a vision of the
outer world came to them, for they were enveloped
continuously in a thick fog of driving snow.
In Scott's tent there was one book, Darwin's 6 Cruise
of the Beagle/ and first one and then another would
read this aloud, until frozen fingers prevented the
pages from being turned over. Only one piece of
work were they able to perform, and this on the first
day when, thinking the storm would soon blow over,
they hauled the sledges beneath one of the tents and
stripped the German silver ready for the onward march.
By the fifth day of their imprisonment sleep began
to desert them, and Scott, realising that the long
inactivity was telling on the health of the party,
determined that whatever the conditions might be
he would try to start on the following morning.
This attempt, however, resulted in complete failure.
In ten minutes both of Scott's hands were "gone/
Skelton had three toes and the heel of one foot badly
frost-bitten, and Feather lost all feeling in both feet.
* Things are looking serious/ Scott wrote after this
unsuccessful effort to be up and doing, ' I fear the long
spell of bad weather is telling on us. The cheerfulness
of the party is slowly waning; I heard the usual song
from Lashly this morning, but it was very short-lived
and dolorous. . . . Something must be done to-mor-
row, but what it will be, to-morrow only can show/
Fortunately the next morning brought a lull in the
THE WESTERN JOURNEY 163
storm, and though the air was still as thick as a hedge
it was possible at last to break away from * Desolation
Camp/ Then Scott's party separated from Ferrar's,
the former making for the ice-fall and eventually
and miraculously reaching the top without accident.
On starting they could not >see half-a-dozen yards
ahead, and at once went as nearly as possible into an
enormous chasm; and when they began to ascend they
crossed numerous crevasses without waiting to see if
the bridges would bear. f I really believe that we were
in a state when we none of us really cared much what
happened; our sole thought was to get away from
that miserable spot/
But during the succeeding days fortune was with
them, and by the night of the I3th the fight was won
and the summit reached. With five weeks' provisions
in hand, and the prospect of covering many miles
before a return to the glacier would be necessary, they
were, as they camped at the elevation of 8,900 feet,
a very different party from the one which had strug-
gled out of * Desolation Camp ' on the morning of
the nth.
But they had scarcely gained the summit of the ice-
cap and started the journey to the west before troubles
again began to gather round them. The long stay in
* Desolation Camp ' had covered their sleeping-bags
and night-jackets with ice, and with falling tempera-
tures this ice had so little chance to evaporate that
camping" arrangements were acutely uncomfortable;
and as each night the thermometer fell a little lower,
164 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the chance of relief from this state of things could
scarcely be said to exist. The wind, too, was a con-
stant worry, for though it was not very strong, when
combined with the low temperature and rarefied air
its effect was blighting.
'I do not think/ Scott wrote, "that it would be
possible to conceive a more cheerless prospect than that
which faced us at this time, when on this lofty, desolate
plateau we turned our backs upon the last mountain
peak that could remind us of habitable lands. Yet
before us lay the unknown. What fascination
lies in that word! Could anyone wonder that we
determined to push on, be the outlook ever so
comfortless ? '
So they plodded forward with all their strength,
but in spite of every effort their progress gradually
became slower. By the I7th the sledges had been
divided, Scott, Feather, and Evans leading with one,
while Skelton, Handsley, and Lashly followed with the
other. But Scott found very soon that the second
sledge had great difficulty in keeping up, and that
although he himself felt thoroughly strong and well,
some of his companions were beginning to fail. As
was natural with such men not one of them would own
that he was exhausted, and in consequence it was only
by paying the keenest attention that he could detect
those who from sheer incapacity were relaxing their
strain on the traces. And his position was not pleasant
even when he knew, for to tell any of these brave
people that they must turn back was a most unenviable
THE WESTERN JOURNEY 165
task. Thus it came about that all six of them marched
on, though Scott was sure that better progress would
have been made had the party been divided.
Something like a climax was reached on the 2Oth,
when Handsley more or less broke down. Not for
a moment, however, did he mean to give up, and when
he was relieved of some part of his work he begged
Scott not again to make an example of him. In
Handsley's opinion his breakdown was a disgrace,
and no arguments" would make him change it. Small
wonder then that Scott wrote in his diary: 'What
children these men are, and yet what splendid
children! The boatswain has been suffering agonies
from his back; he has been pulling just behind me,
and in some sympathy that comes through the
traces I have got to know all about him, yet he has
never uttered a word of complaint, and when he
knows my eye is on him he straightens up and
pretends he is just as fit as ever. What is one to
do with such people ? *
What Scott did was to try for another day to go
on as before, but on November 22 he had to tell Skel-
ton, Feather, and Handsley that they must turn back,
^and though * they could not disguise their disappoint-
ment, they all seemed to understand that it had to be. 1
From the date on which Scott reluctantly came to
this decision, three weeks of the hardest physical toil
followed for him and his companions, Evans and
Lashly. Nevertheless Scott looked back upon this
strenuous time with unmixed satisfaction, and paid a
166 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
high tribute of praise to his companions for their part
in the successful work that was done.
' With these two men behind me/ he says, ' our
sledge seemed to be a living thing, and the days of
slow progress were numbered. . . . Troubles and dis-
comforts were many, and we could only guess at the
progress we made, but we knew that by sticking to
our task we should have our reward when our observa-
tions came to be worked out on board the ship/
Regularly each night the temperature fell to 40
or below, while during the marching hours it rarely
rose much above 25, and with this low temperature
there was a constant wind. In fact the wind was
the plague of their lives and cut them to pieces. So
cracked were their faces that laughing hurt horribly,
and the first half-hour of the morning march, before
they were warmed up to the work, was dreadful, as
then all their sore places got .frost-bitten. In short
the last week of their outward march was a searching
test of endurance, but they had resolved to march
on until November 30, and in spite of the miserable
conditions there was no turning back before the month
had ended.
Scott, however, was most undisguisedly glad when
November 30 had come and gone. ' We have finished
our last outward march, thank heaven! Nothing
has kept us going during the past week but the deter-
mination to carry out our original intention of going* on
to the end of the month, and so here we have pitched
our last camp/
CHAPTER IX
THE RETURN FROM THE WEST
Ceaseless frost round the vast solitude
Bound its broad zone of stillness. SHELLEY.
' WE are all,' Scott wrote in his diary, very proud
of our march out I don't know where we are, but I
know we must be a long way to the west from my
rough noon observation of the compass variation/
But not for anything in the world did he want again
to see the interior of Victoria Land. Writing two
years after this great march he says : ' For me the
long month which we spent on the Victoria Land
summit remains as some vivid but evil dream. I have
a memory of continuous strain on mind and body,
lightened only by the unfailing courage and cheerful-
ness of my companions/
From first to last the month of November had
been a struggle to penetrate into this barren, deserted,
wind-swept, piercingly cold, and fearfully monotonous
region, and although on turning homewards the
travellers were relieved by having the wind at their
backs, the time of trial was by no means over. Only by
utilising all their powers of marching could they hope
167
168 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
to retreat In safety from their position, and December
opened with such overcast weather that valuable
time had to be spent in the tent. During the next
few days, however, good marches were made, until
on December 9 everything changed abruptly for the
worse.
On the afternoon of the Qth the surface became so
abominably bad, that by pulling desperately they
could not get the sledge along at more than a mile
an hour. Oil was growing short, and in view of the
future Scott had to propose that marching hours
should be increased by one hour, that they should use
half allowance of oil, and that if they did not sight
landmarks within a couple of days their rations should
be reduced. 'When I came to the cold lunch and
fried breakfast poor Evans' face fell; he evidently
doesn't much believe in the virtue of food, unless it
is in the form of a hoosh and has some chance of
sticking to one's ribs.'
Land was sighted on the xoth, I ith, and I2th, but the
weather was as overcast as ever, and Scott was still in
dreadful uncertainty of their whereabouts, because he
was unable to recognise a single point. Ten hours'
pulling per day was beginning to tell upon them, and
although apart from the increasing pangs of hunger
there was no sign of sickness, Scott remarks, on the
1 2th, that they were becoming 'gaunt shadows/
During the morning of the I3th Evans' nose,
which had been more or less frost-bitten for some
weeks, had an especially bad attack. His attitude
THE RETURN FROM THE WEST 169
to this unruly member was one of comic forbearance,
as though, while it scarcely belonged to him, he was
more or less responsible for it and so had to make
excuses. On this occasion when told that it had
* gone/ he remarked in a resigned tone, ' My poor old
nose again; well, there, it's chronic!' By the time
it had been brought round a storm was blowing, and
though they continued to march, the drift was so
thick that at any moment they might have walked
over the edge of a precipice a fitting prelude to what,
by general consent, was admitted to be the most
adventurous day in their lives.
Prospects, when they started to march on the next
morning, were at first a little brighter, but soon a
bitterly cold wind was blowing and high ice hum-
mocks began to appear ahead of them. In this
predicament Scott realised that it was both rash to
go forward, as the air was becoming thick with snow-
drift, and equally rash to stop, for if they had to spend
another long spell in a blizzard camp, starvation would
soon be staring them in the face. So he asked Evans
and Lashly if they were ready to take the risk of going
on, and promptly discovered that they were. Then
they marched straight for the ice disturbance, and
as the surface became smoother and the slope steeper
their sledge began to overrun them. At this point
Scott put Evans and Lashly behind to hold the sledge
back, while he continued in front to guide its course,
and what happened afterwards is described most
graphically in the diary of the I5th.
i;o THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
' Suddenly Lashly slipped, and in an instant he
was sliding downward on his back; directly the strain
came on Evans, he too was thrown off his feet. It all
happened in a moment, and before I had time to look
the sledge and the two men hurtled past me; I braced
myself to stop them, but might as well have attempted
to hold an express train. With the first jerk I was
whipped off my legs, and we all three lay sprawling on
our backs and flying downward with an ever-increasing
velocity. For some reason the first thought that flashed
into my mind was that someone would break a limb
if he attempted to stop our mad career, and I shouted
something to this effect, but might as well have saved
my breath. Then there came a sort of vague wonder
as to what would happen next, and in the midst of
that I was conscious that we had ceased to slide
smoothly and were now bounding over a rougher in-
cline, sometimes leaving it for several yards at a time;
my thought flew to broken limbs again, for I felt we
could not stand much of such bumping.
'At length we gave a huge leap into the air, and
yet we travelled with such velocity that I had not time
to think before we came down with tremendous force
on a gradual incline of rough, hard, wind-swept snow.
Its irregularities brought us to rest in a moment or
two, and I staggered to my feet in a dazed fashion,
wondering what had happened.
" Then to my joy I saw the others also struggling
to their legs, and in another moment I could thank
heaven that no limbs were broken. But we had by
THE RETURN FROM THE WEST 171
no means escaped scathless; our legs now show
one black bruise from knee to thigh, and Lashly
was unfortunate enough to land once on his back,
which is bruised and very painful. ... I, as the
lightest, escaped the easiest, yet before the two men
crawled painfully to their feet their first question was
to ask if I had been hurt.
' As soon as I could pull myself together I looked
round, and now to my astonishment I saw that we
were well on towards the entrance of our own glacier;
ahead and on either side of us appeared well-remem-
bered landmarks, whilst behind, in the rough broken
ice-wall over which we had fallen, I now recognised
at once the most elevated ice cascade of our valley. . . .
l l cannot but think that this sudden revelation of
our position was very wonderful. Half an hour before
we had been lost; I could not have told whether we
were making for our own glacier or any other, or
whether we were ten or fifty miles from our depot;
it was more than a month since we had seen any known
landmark. Now in this extraordinary manner the
curtain had been raised . . , and down the valley we
could see the high cliffs of the Depot Nunatak where
peace and plenty awaited us/
The sledge had not capsized until they all rolled
over at the end, but the jolting had scattered their
belongings and broken open the biscuit box, with the
result that they had no provisions left, except the
few scraps they could pick up and the meagre contents
of their food bag. As quickly as stiffening limbs would
172 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
allow they collected their scattered articles, repacked
the sledge and marched on towards the depot. Before
them lay a long plateau, at the edge of which Scott
knew that they would find a second cascade, and
beneath it the region of Desolation Camp and a more
gradual icy surface down to the depot.
Fortune favoured them in descending the second
cascade, and quite unsuspicious of any further danger
they joined up their harness to their usual positions
in front of the sledge. This brought Scott in the
middle and a little in advance, with Lashly on his right
and Evans on his left. Presently the sledge began to
skid, and Scott told Lashly to pull wide to steady it.
Scarcely had this order been obeyed when Scott and
Evans stepped on nothing and disappeared, while
Lashly miraculously saved himself from following and
sprang back with his whole weight on the trace. The
sledge flashed by him and jumped the crevasse down
which Scott and Evans had gone, one side of the sledge
being cracked by the jerk but the other side mercifully
holding. ' Personally/ Scott says, ' I remember abso-
lutely nothing until I found myself dangling at the end
of my trace with blue walls on either side and a very
horrid looking gulf below; large ice-crystals dis-
lodged by our movements continued to shower down
on our heads. As a first step I took off my goggles;
I then discovered that Evans was hanging just
above me. I asked him if he was all right, and
received a reassuring reply in his calm, matter-of-fact
tones/
THE RETURN FROM THE WEST 173
Then Scott began to grope about on every side with
his cramponed feet, but not until his struggles set him
swinging did his leg suddenly strike a projection.
At a glance he saw that by raising himself he could
get a foothold on this, and after a short struggle he
stood upon a thin shaft of ice, which was wedged
providentially between the walls of the chasm, and
could look about him. To the right or left, above or
below, there was not the vestige of another such sup-
port, nothing, in fact, but the smooth walls of ice.
The projection seemed to have got there by a miracle,
but miracle or not the thing to do was to help Evans,
and when the latter had slipped his harness well up
beneath his arms Scott found that he could pilot his
feet to the bridge.
' All this had occupied some time, and it was only
now that I realised what had happened above us, for
there, some twelve feet over our heads, was the outline
of the broken sledge. I saw at once what a frail
support remained, and shouted to Lashly to ask what
he could do, and then I knew the value of such a level-
headed companion; for whilst he held on grimly to
the sledge and us with one hand, his other was busily
employed in withdrawing our ski. At length he
succeeded in sliding two of these beneath the
broken sledge, and so making our support more
secure/
But clever as this device was it still left them with-
out Lashly's active assistance, because directly he
relaxed his hold the sledge began to slip. The only
174 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
possible course, therefore, was for Scott and Evans to
climb out unaided, and, after a word with Evans
Scott decided to try first; though he confessed after-
wards that he never expected to reach the top. Not
for a long time had he swarmed a rope, and to do so in
thick clothing, heavy crampons, and with frost-bitten
fingers seemed to him impossible. Of the struggle that
followed he remembered little except that he got a
rest when he could plant his foot in the belt of his own
harness, and again when his feet held on the rings of
the belt. ' Then came a mighty effort, till I reached
the stirrup formed by the rope span of the sledge,
and then, mustering all the strength that remained,
I reached the sledge itself and flung myself on to the
snow beyond. Lashly said, " Thank God!" and it
was perhaps then that I realised that his position had
been the worst of all/
But having arrived at the top he was completely
out of action for several minutes, for his hands were
white to the wrists, and not until their circulation
came back could he get to work. With two on top
and only one below the position, however, was very
different, and presently Evans, badly frost-bitten, was
landed on the surface. For a minute or two they
could only stand and look at one another. Then
Evans said, ' Well, I'm blowed/ which was the first
sign of surprise he had shown.
By six o'clock on that same evening they reached
their depot, and passed from abject discomfort to rest
and peace. Bruised, sore and tired as they were,,
THE RETURN FROM THE WEST 175
Lashly sang merrily as he stirred the pot, while Scott
and Evans sat on the sledge, shifted their foot-gear,
spread out their clothes to dry, and talked cheerily
about the happenings of the day.
From this time onward their camp-life was wholly
pleasant, except to Lashly who had an attack of snow-
blindness. Apart from that they were in the best of
condition for the hard marching in front of them, and
when on the night of the 2Oth they reached their second
depot and could look out towards the sea, they did not
care how far round they might have to walk if only
that stubborn sheet of ice had broken away. But
it was too evident that their homeward track might
be as straight as they chose, as only in the far distance
was open water to be seen, and with sorrow they
realised that there must still be many miles of ice
between it and the Discovery.
Late on Christmas Eve they were once more on
board the ship after an absence of fifty-nine days,
during which they had travelled 725 miles. Taking
the eighty-one days of absence which had constituted
the whole sledging season, Scott, Evans and Lashly
had covered 1,098 miles, and, not including minor
undulations, had climbed heights which totalled to
19,000 feet. On getting back to the Discovery Scott
found only Koettlitz, Handsley and Quartley on board,
because all the rest of the company had gone to the
north to saw through the ice; and during the few days
of rest that he allowed himself before going to the
sawing-camp, he was able to read the reports of the
176 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
officers who had led the other journeys, and to
see what excellent work had been done during
his absence.
Ferrar's survey and Skelton's photographic work
had added materially to the value of the western
journey; the party led by Barne and Mulock to the
south had met with ill-fortune from the start, but
throughout the journey Mulock used the theodolite
indefatigably, with the results that this stretch of
coast-line was more accurately plotted than any other
part of Victoria Land, and that the positions and
height of over two hundred mountain peaks were fixed.
Barne also obtained a very good indication of the
movement of the Great Barrier ice-sheet. During
Royds' journey, on which the party went on very short
food allowance, Bernacchi took a most interesting
series of magnetic observations. And although to
Bernacchi himself belongs the greatest credit, some
reflected glory, at any rate, fell upon his companions,
because they had to stay shivering outside the tent
while he was at work inside it.
Wilson had not only been busy with the penguins
at Cape Crozier, but had also made a complete ex-
amination of the enormous and interesting pressure
ridges which form the junction of the Great Barrier
ice-mass with the land, and subsequently had spent
much time in studying the windless area to the south
of Ross Island. Also, with Armitage and Heald,
he had made an excellent little journey, on which
Armitage obtained some very good photographs,
THE RETURN FROM THE WEST 177
sufficient in themselves to prove the receding glacial
conditions of the whole continent.
In short during Scott's absence his companions
had been working strenuously to increase the supply
of information; so when the second sledging-season
ended, they could with reason congratulate themselves
that the main part of their work was done.
CHAPTER X
RELEASE
And Thor
Set his shoulder hard against the stern
To push the ship through ...
. . . and the water gurgled in
And the ship floated on the waves and rock'd.
M. ARNOLD.
AFTER a few days on board Scott became restless to
see what was going on in the sawing-camp, and on the
morning of the 3ist he started off with Evans, Lashly
and Handsley to march the ten and a half miles to the
north. When the instructions for this attempt to free
the Discovery were drawn up, there had been, of
course, no telling how broad the ice-sheet would be
when operations began, and Scott had been obliged to
assume that it would be nearly the same as in the
previous year, when the open water had extended to the
Dellbridge Islets about eleven miles from the ship.
There he directed that the camp should be made, and
Armitage, on whom in Scott's absence the command
had devolved, made all preparations in accordance
with the instructions he had received.
At the outset, however, a difficulty awaited him,
RELEASE 179
as in the middle of December the open water, instead
of being tip to the islets, ended at least ten miles farther
to the north. Under the circumstances he considered
it dangerous to take the camp out to the ice-edge,
and so the sawing work had been begun in the middle
of the ice-sheet instead of at its edge.
Thirty people were in the camp when Scott arrived,
and though at first the work had been painful both
to arms and backs they were all in splendid condition
and spirits. Fortunately this was a land of plenty,
penguins and seals abounded, and every one agreed
that, apart from the labour, they were having a most
enjoyable time, though no one imagined that the work
would be useful.
In two days Scott was as convinced as anyone that
the work must be in vain, and ordered the sawing to
stop. ' I have been much struck/ he wrote, ' by the
way in which every one has cheerfully carried on this
hopeless work until the order came to halt. There
could have been no officer or man among them who-
did not see from the first how utterly useless it was,
and yet there has been no faltering or complaint, simply
because all have felt that, as the sailor expresses it,
" Them's the orders/' '
With twenty miles of ice between the Discovery
and freedom, the possibility of yet another winter had
to be considered, so although most of the company
returned to the ship, Lashly, Evans, Handsley and
Clarke were left behind to make sure of an adequate
stock of penguins. And then Scott being unable
i8o THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
to do any good by remaining In the ship started off
to the north with Wilson, the former being anxious
to watch the ice-edge and see what chance there was
of a break-up, while Wilson wanted to study the life
of that region. This journey was to be * a real picnic/
with no hard marching and plenty to eat; and, pursuing
their leisurely way, on January 4 they were within
half a mile of the open water when Wilson suddenly
said, * There they are.' Then Scott looked round,
and on the rocks of Cape Royds saw a red smudge
dotted with thousands of little black and white figures.
Without doubt they had stumbled upon a penguin
rookery, but interesting as it was to have made the
discovery, it was at the same time exasperating to think
of the feast of eggs they had missed in the last two
years* During the rest of the day they watched the
penguins and the skua gulls which were nesting around
them; and before supper they took soap and towels
down toa rill of thaw-water that ran within a few yards
of their tent, and washed in the warm sunlight. * Then/
Scott says, ' we had a dish of fried penguin's liver with
seal kidneys; eaten straight out of the frying-pan, this
was simply delicious. I have come to the conclusion
that life in the Antarctic Regions can be very pleasant/
Still in the proper picnic spirit they dawdled over
their breakfast on the following day, and were lazily
discussing plans when Scott, looking through the open
door of the tent to the clear sea beyond, suddenly
caught sight of a ship. In a moment haste and bustle
reigned supreme, and while they were searching for
RELEASE 181
boots and other things necessary for the march, Wilson
said, ' Why, there's another/ and without any doubt
two vessels were framed in the doorway. It had at
once been taken for granted that the first ship was
the Morning, but what in the name of fortune was
the meaning of the other neither Scott nor Wilson
could imagine. The easiest and quickest way to find
out was to go straight on board, for the ships were
making for the ice-edge some five miles to the west-
ward, but if they had followed this simple plan their
companions on the Discovery would have known noth-
ing about it, and would have been compelled to wait
for their mails. So they started southward to find the
penguin hunters, and then to send them to establish
communications with the ship. For a long time no
sight of the men could be seen, but after travelling
about six miles Scott and Wilson saw the tent, though
without any signs of life about it; indeed they were
within a hundred yards before in answer to their shouts
four very satisfied figures emerged, still munching the
remains of a meal * Of course/ Scott says, * I thought
they had not seen the ships, but they had, only, as they
explained, they didn't see there was any cause for them
to do anything in the matter. I said, " But, good
heavens, you want your mails, don't you ? " " Oh, yes,
sir/' they replied, " but we thought that would be all
right/' In other words, they as good as said that life
was so extremely easy and pleasant .that there was no
possible object in worrying over such a trifle as the
arrival of a relief expedition/ When, however, they
182 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
had got their orders they were of? at once, and Scott
and Wilson went back to the ships and soon found out
from Colbeck why the Terra Nova had accompanied
the Morning, and how strangely the aspect of affairs
had altered. Writing in his diary on that night Scott
says, ' 1 can only record that in spite of the good home
news, and in spite of the pleasure of seeing old friends
again, I was happier last night than I am to-night/
Briefly the reasons for the sending of the two ships
instead of one were these. Scott's report taken by the
Morning had left the strong impression that the relief
ship must again be sent to the south in 1903. The
* Morning ' fund, however, was inadequate to meet
the requirements of another year, and there was not
time enough to appeal to the public and to explain
the full necessities of the case. In these circumstances
there was nothing for the Societies to do but to appeal
to the Government, and eventually the latter agreed
to undertake the whole conduct of the relief expedition,
provided that the Morning, as she stood, was delivered
over to them. The Government naturally placed the
management of affairs in the hands of the Admiralty,
and once having taken the responsibility it was felt
that two ships must be sent, in order that there should
be no risk of the pledge being unfulfilled.
The Terra Nova, one of the finest of the whaling
ships, was bought, and a whaling crew, under the
command of Captain Harry MacKay, was engaged
to navigate her. Towards the end of November
1903 she lay off Hpbart Town in Tasmania, and in
RELEASE 183
December she was joined by the Morning, Captain
Colbeck being directed to take charge of this joint
venture until both ships could come under Scott's
command.
Thus it happened that, much to every one's sur-
prise, two ships arrived off the edge of the fast ice on
January^ 1904. It was not, however, the arrival of the
Terra Nova, whose captain from the first was anxious
to help in every way, but quite another matter that
made Scott so sad and naturally sad at this time.
In England the majority of those competent to
judge the situation had formed the opinion that the
Discovery was stuck fast in the ice for all time*
Whether the Admiralty held this opinion or not is of
no consequence, because in any case it was their duty
to see that the expense of another relief expedition
should be avoided. Consequently there was no other
course open to them except to tell Scott to abandon
the Discovery, if she could not be freed in time to
accompany the relief ships to the north. But necessary
as this order was, it placed Scott and his companions
in a very cruel position. Under the most ordinary
conditions a sailor would go through much rather
than abandon his ship, but the ties which bound Scott
and his company to the Discovery were very far
beyond the ordinary; indeed they involved a depth of
sentiment not in the least surprising when their
associations with her are remembered.
In spite of their long detention in the ice, the
thought of leaving her had never entered their heads.
184 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Some time she would be free again, and even if they
had to spend a third winter in her they had deter-
mined to go through with it, and make themselves as
comfortable as possible.
It was from this passably contented frame of mind
that they were rudely awakened. Now they were
obliged to face the fact that unless a twenty-mile plain
of ice broke up within six weeks, they must bid a long
farewell to their beloved ship and return to their homes
as castaways. So with the arrival of the relief ships
there fell the first and last cloud of gloom which was
ever allowed on board the Discovery. And as day
followed day with no improvement in the ice condi-
tions, the gloom deepened until anyone might easily
have imagined that an Antarctic expedition was a most
dismal affair.
On January 10 Scott wrote : * Reached the ship this
morning, and this afternoon assembled all hands on
the mess-deck, where I told them exactly how matters
stood. There was a stony silence. I have not heard a
laugh in the ship since I returned.'
For some time a flagstaff had been erected on Tent
Islet, ten miles to the north, and a system of signals
had been arranged to notify any changes in the ice,
but day after day the only signal was ' No change in
the ice conditions.'
On the 1 5th to relieve the weariness of waiting
for something that did not happen, Scott arranged
that their collections and instruments should be trans-
ported to the relief ships. Whatever the future held it*
RELEASE 185
store he saw no reason why this should not be done,
and to have anything at all to do during this trying
time was a blessing; though he had by no means
given up hope that the Discovery would be freed.
After a long spell at Cape Royds camp, Wilson
returned to the ship on the night of the 2ist with
news that was all the more welcome at such an
anxious time. Strolling over the beach one day to
inspect what he thought was a prodigiously large seal
he saw that it was quite different from any of the
ordinary seals, and went back to the camp for his gun.
Two of the Morning officers were in camp with him,
and all three of them proceeded to stalk this strange
new beast. Their great fear was that they might
only succeed in wounding it and that it might escape
into the sea; so in spite of the temperature of the water
they waded round it before they attacked. These
tactics were successful, but their quarry when des-
patched was far too heavy for them to move, or for
Wilson to examine where it lay. On the following
day, however, Colbeck came over in the Morning, and
with the aid of boats and ropes the carcase was landed
on his decks. Then Wilson came to the conclusion
that the animal was a sea-elephant commonly found at
Macquarie Island, but never before seen within the
Antarctic circle.
No change in the ice occurred until the i8th when
some large pieces broke away, and by the 23rd Scott
reckoned that the relief ships were four or five miles
nearer than they had been a fortnight before. But,
i86 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
if the conditions were to be as they had been two
years before, thirteen or fourteen miles of ice must go
out in fifteen days, a far more rapid rate than it had
been going during the previous fortnight. On the 28th,
however, the first sign of real promise occurred, for the
whole ice-sheet began to sway very slightly under
the action of a long swell, its edge against the land
rising and falling as much as 18 inches. * We are all
very restless, constantly dashing up the hill to the look-
out station or wandering from place to place to observe
the effects of the swell. But it is long since we enjoyed
such a cheerful experience as we get on watching the
loose pieces of ice jostling one another at Hut Point. 7
Days of hope and anxiety followed, until the I4th
of February arrived and brought the best of news with
it. During the day nothing unusual happened, and
it was not until Scott was at dinner that the excite-
ment began. Then he heard a shout on deck, and a
voice sang out down the hatchway, * The ships are
coming, sir ! *
' There was no more dinner, and in a moment we
were racing for Hut Point, where a glorious sight met
our view. The ice was breaking up right across the
strait, and with a rapidity which we had not thought
possible. No sooner was one great floe borne away
than a dark streak cut its way into the solid sheet that
remained and carved out another, to feed the broad
stream of pack which was hurrying away to the
north-west,
'I have never witnessed a more impressive sight;
RELEASE 187
the sun was low behind us, the surface of the ice-sheet
in front was intensely white, and in contrast the dis-
tant sea and its forking leads looked almost black. The
wind had fallen to a calm, and not a sound disturbed
the stillness about us. Yet, in the midst of this peace-
ful silence, was an awful unseen agency rending that
great ice-sheet as though it had been nought but the
thinnest paper/
But fast as the ice was breaking, it was not fast
enough for the relief ships. Evidently there was a
race between them to be the first to pass beyond the
flagstaff round which the small company of spectators
had clustered; although the little Morning, with her
bluff bows and weak engines, could scarcely expect to
hold her own against such a powerful competitor. By
half-past ten those on shore could see the splintering
of the ice as the ships crashed into the floes, and the
shouts of the men as with wild excitement they cheered
each fresh success, could be distinctly heard.
Scarcely half a mile of ice remained and the contest
became keener and keener. On came the Terra Nova,
but in spite of all her mighty efforts the persistent
little Morning, dodging right and left and seizing
every chance opening, kept doggedly at her side, and
still seemed to have a chance of winning the race.
Meanwhile the spectators, in their nondescript
tattered garments, stood breathlessly watching this
wonderful scene.
{ For long intervals we remained almost spell-bound,
and then a burst of frenzied cheering broke out. It
i88 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
seemed to us almost too good to be real. By eleven
o'clock all the thick ice had vanished, and there re-
mained only the thin area of decayed floe which has
lately made the approach to the ships so dangerous;
a few minutes later the Terra Nova forged ahead and
came crashing into the open, to be followed almost
immediately by her stout little companion, and soon
both ships were firmly anchored to all that remains
of the Discovery's prison, the wedge that still holds
in our small bay. . . .
* And so to-night the ships of our small fleet are
lying almost side by side; a rope from the Terra Nova
is actually secured to the Discovery. Who could have
thought it possible? Certainly not we who have
lived through the trying scenes of the last month.'
The small wedge of sea-ice that still remained in
the bay was cracked in many places, and would doubt-
less have departed of its own accord in a few days;
but Scott, naturally impatient to get away, decided to
hasten matters by explosions. Consequently at i A.M.
on February 16 there was an explosion which shook
the whole bay, and rudely disturbed not only the ice
but also the slumbers of those who were not members
of the explosion party.
A few hours later another explosive charge was
borne out, and when all was ready Scott pressed the
firing key. 'There was a thunderous report which
shook the ship throughout, and then all was calm
again. For a brief moment one might have imagined
that nothing had happened, but then one saw that each
RELEASE 189
crack was slowly widening; presently there came the
gurgle of water as it was sucked into our opening ice-
bed, and in another minute there was a creaking aft and
our stern rose with a jump as the keel was freed from
the ice which had held it down. Then, as the great
mass of ice on our port hand slowly glided out to sea,
our good ship swung gently round and lay peacefully
riding to her anchors with the blue water lapping
against her sides. . . . Thus it was that the Discovery
came to her own again the right to ride the high seas/
On that day it would have been impossible to
find a prouder or happier ship's company, but with
all their feelings of elation they did not imagine
that everything would run smoothly after such a long
period of disuse, and they knew also that much hard
work lay in front of them if they were to carry out
the remainder of their programme. If the Discovery
was free before the navigable season closed Scott had
resolved to spend the remaining time in exploring the
region to the westward of Cape North, but now after
two years' imprisonment coal was lacking for such a
scheme. Directly the relief ships had arrived he had
asked them for as great a quantity as possible, but
although the replies had at first been satisfactory, a
long month's fight with wind and ice had sadly re-
duced the amount they could afford to give. The only
thing to do was to get without any delay what could
be spared, and on the afternoon of the i6th the Terra
Nova came alongside to hand over her supply. ' The
afternoon/ Scott says, 'was beautifully calm and
igo THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
bright, and the weather seemed to smile peacefully on
the termination of ourlongand successful struggle with
the ice. . . . We little guessed what lay before us.'
On the 1 5th a large wooden cross, bearing a simply
carved inscription to the memory of poor Vince, was
erected on the summit of Hut Point, and on the
following day the small company landed together and
stood bareheaded round this memorial, while Scott
read some short prayers.
The water was oily calm and the sky threatening
as they pulled back to the ship after paying this last
tribute of homage to their shipmate, but weather of this
kind had been too common to attract attention. On
that night Captain MacKay was dining in the Discovery
for the first time, and a great effort had been made to
show him how good an Antarctic feast could be. In
the middle of dinner, however, word came down to
Scott that the wind had sprung up, and although he
expected nothing serious he went up to see what was
happening. Then he saw they were in for a stiff
blow, and reluctantly had to inform his guests of the
fact. One glance at the sky satisfied MacKay, who
was over the rail like a shot, and in a few minutes the
Terra Nova was steaming for the open and lost in the
drift.
Very soon both wind and sea had risen, but although
Scott did not altogether like the look of things and
determined to get up steam as soon as possible, he
did not want to hurry those in the engine-room after
such a long period of disuse. But early in the morning
RELEASE 191
of the 1 7th the situation became really dangerous,
and the Discovery began to jerk at her cables in the
most alarming manner.
"I knew/ he wrote on the night of that eventful
day, * that in spite of our heavy anchor the holding
ground was poor, and I watched anxiously to see if
the ship dragged.
' It came at last, just as Skelton sent a promise
of steam in half an hour. The sea was again breaking
heavily on the ice-foot astern and I walked up and
down wondering which was coming first, the steam
or this wave-beaten cliff. It was not a pleasant situa-
tion, as the distance grew shorter every minute, until
the spray of the breaking waves fell on our poop, and
this was soon followed by a tremendous blow as our
stern struck the ice. We rebounded and struck again,
and our head was just beginning to fall off and the
ship to get broadside on (heaven knows what would
have happened then) when steam was announced/
Then the ship just held her own and only just; the
engines alone would not send her to windward in the
teeth of the gale. Once around Hut Point, Scott knew
that they would be safe with open sea before them;
and the end of the Point was only a quarter of a mile
out, though off the end there was a shallow patch which
had to be cleared before safety could be reached. So
finding that no headway was being made he began to
edge out towards the Point, and all seemed well until,
nearly opposite to the Point itself, he saw to his alarm
that a strong current was sweeping past
192 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
* Nothing remained but to make a dash for it, and
I swung the helm over and steered for the open. But
the moment our bows entered the fast-running stream
we were swung round like a top, and the instant after
we crashed head foremost onto the shoal and stopped
dead with our masts shivering. We were in the worst
possible position, dead to windward of the bank with
wind, sea, and current all tending to set us faster
ashore.
* We took the shore thus at about n A.M., and the
hours that followed were truly the most dreadful I have
ever spent. Each moment the ship came down with
a sickening thud which shook her from stem to stern,
and each thud seemed to show more plainly that, strong
as was her build, she could not long survive such awful
blows/
Hour after hour passed while the ship quivered and
trembled and crashed again and again into her rocky
bed. Nothing more could be done for her until the gale
abated, but seeing the impossibility of doing anything
at the time, Scott recognised that the next best thing
was to be prepared to act promptly when the weather
moderated. Then he discovered once more how
absolutely he could rely on the support and intelligence
of his companions. Skelton already had made a list
of weights by the removal of which the ship could be
lightened, and when the boatswain was summoned
to discuss the manner in which the anchors could be
laid out he also had his scheme cut and dried.
The first sign of a lull came at 7 P.M., and soon after
RELEASE 193
they assembled to the dreariest dinner ever remem-
bered in the Discovery. But when they were half-way
through this silent meal Mulock, the officer of the
watch, suddenly burst in and said, ' The ship's working
astern, sir/
In record time Scott reached the bridge, and found
that both wind and sea had dropped in the most
extraordinary manner. But what surprised him even
more was that the current, which had been running
strongly to the north, had turned and was running with
equal speed to the south. Each time that the ship
lifted on a wave she worked two or three inches astern,
and though she was still grinding heavily she no longer
struck the bottom with such terrific force. Scarcely,
however, had these facts been observed when Skelton
rushed up to say that the inlets were free again.
' Every soul was on deck and in a moment they were
massed together and running from side to side in
measured time. The telegraphs were put full speed
astern; soon the engines began to revolve, and the
water foamed and frothed along the side. For a
minute or two the ship seemed to hesitate, but then
there came a steady grating under the bottom, which
gradually travelled forward, and ceased as the ship,
rolling heavily, slid gently into deep water, . . .
Rarely, if ever, can a ship have appeared in such an
uncomfortable plight as ours to find herself free and
safe within the space of an hour. ... To be in ten
feet of water in a ship that draws fourteen feet cannot
be a pleasant position nor can there be a doubt
I 9 4 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
that the shocks which the Discovery sustained would
have very seriously damaged a less stoutly built
vessel/
None too soon were they clear of the shoal, for in a
very short time the wind was again blowing from the
south; but as, on the i8th, the wind though still blow-
ing strong had gone round to the south-east and
brought smoother water in the Sound, it was decided
to make for the inlets of the glacier tongue to the
north, and complete the coaling operations.
On occasions when haste was necessary there was,
by mutual consent, no distinction between officers and
men. And Scott mentions ' as a sight for the gods '
the scene of biologists, vertebrate zoologists, lieuten-
ants, and A.B/s with grimed faces and chafed hands
working with all their might on the coaling whips.
The Morning handed over twenty-five tons of coal,
and this was all the more a generous gift since it
reduced Colbeck to the narrowest margin, and com-
pelled him to return directly homeward without
joining in any attempt at further exploration. * His
practical common sense told him he could be of little
use to us, and with his usual loyalty he never hesitated
to act for the best, at whatever sacrifice to his own
hopes and wishes/
Before they left the glacier in McMurdo Sound it
was arranged that the three ships should journey up the
coast together and then separate, the Morning pro-
ceeding to the north, while the Discovery and the
Terra Nova turned west. The companies of both relief
RELEASE 195
ships, however, expressed a strong desire to be with
the Discovery when she entered her first civilised port;
so Scott fixed upon Port Ross, in the Auckland
Islands, as a spot at which they might meet before the
final return to New Zealand.
February 20 saw the Discovery speeding along a
stretch of coast that had been quite unknown until
she had two years previously made her way south
along it, and at that time she had been obliged to
keep a long distance out on account of the pack-ice.
But now gaps which had been missed could be filled
in; and even more than this was done, for Mulock
remained on deck night and day taking innumerable
angles to peaks and headlands, while Wilson, equally
indefatigable, transferred this long panorama of
mountain scenery to his sketch-book.
Two days later the pumps refused to act, and the
whole of the engine-room staff were on duty for
twenty- four hours on end; and on the 24th the carpen-
ter called attention to the rudder. On inspection Scott
saw that the solid oak rudder-head was completely
shattered, and was held together by little more than
its weight; as the tiller was moved right or left the
rudder followed it, but with a lag of many degrees,
so that the connection between the two was evidently
insecure. In such a condition it was obvious that they
could not hope to weather a gale without losing all
control over the ship, and that no time was to be lost
in shipping their spare rudder in place of the damaged
one. So Scott determined to seek shelter in Robertson
196 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Bay, and by night the damaged rudder had been
hoisted on deck and the spare one prepared for lower-
ing into its place. Since the Discovery had left winter
quarters an almost incredible amount of work had
been done to bring her into sea trim. Difficulty after
difficulty had arisen, but the energy of the company
had never slackened, and by February 25 Scott was
able to say that everything was once more in order,
though he was a little doubtful about the steering
power of their spare rudder.
At this time it was all the more important that the
ship should give no further trouble, because according
to their programme they were about to penetrate a
new region, and expected to find quite enough to do
without considering internal difficulties. With high
hopes that steam power would enable them to pass
beyond the point reached by Sir James Ross in his
sailing ships they turned to the west, and at first all
went well with them. Pack-ice, however, was des-
tined to be an insuperable obstacle to their advance,
and on the 26th they decided to turn to the north-
east and try to find a way around this formidable
barrier. ' It is grievously disappointing to find the
pack so far to the east; Ross carried the open water
almost to Cape North/ And again on March i, Scott
sounds a note of lamentation : * There can be no doubt
that since leaving Victoria Land we have been skirting
a continuous mass of pack, which must cover the whole
sea south of the Balleny Islands. That it should have
lain so far to the eastward this year is very annoying;
RELEASE 197
however, if we can push on upon this course we ought
to strike the islands/
Early in the morning of the following day land was
reported, and by noon they were abreast of it; but what
this island, and others that were dimly to be seen to the
north, could be, puzzled them considerably, and not
until some time later was the problem solved. In 1839
Balleny discovered a group of islands in this region,
and three years later Ross saw land which he imagined
was to the southward of Balleny's discoveries, and be-
lieving it to be divided into three distinct masses named
it the Russell Islands. Consequently Scott arrived
expecting to see two groups of islands, and was
naturally perplexed when only one group was to be
seen. After, however, studying the accounts of these
islands and comparing them with what he could
actually see, he recognised that they had just passed
Balleny's Sturge Island, which Balleny had seen from
the north, and so could have had no idea of its
length in a north-and-south line. Later Ross must
have seen this same island, and, as Scott saw to be
quite possible, from a great distance must have thought
that it was divided into three, and hence made the
mistake of naming it as a separate group. Fortunately
Mulock was able to obtain sufficient bearings to fix
accurately the position of each island.
Now that the knotty question as to the geography
df the Balleny Islands was settled, they went on to look
for the land that Wilkes claimed to have discovered
in 1840, but not a glimpse nor a vestige of it could they
198 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
see; and, on March 4, they had to conclude that
Wilkes Land was once and for all definitely disposed
of. With this negative, but nevertheless important,
result, the exploring work ended, and although a lack
of coal had prevented their cherished plan of rounding
Cape North, they had at least the satisfaction of clear-
ing up some geographical misconceptions in a more
northerly latitude.
From the 6th to the I4th continuous gales brought
conditions of greater physical discomfort than had
ever been experienced on board the Discovery, for she
was in very light trim and tossed about the moun-
tainous seas like a cork. It was, therefore, the great-
est relief to furl their sails off the entrance of Ross
Harbour on the I5th, and to steam into the calm
waters of the Bay.
Neither the Terra Nova nor the Morning had yet
arrived, and the days of waiting were spent in making
their ship as smart as possible before the eyes of the
multitude gazed upon her. Thus, in a few days, the
Discovery looked as though she had spent her
adventurous years in some peaceful harbour.
On March 19 the Terra Nova hove in sight, and
was followed on the next day by the Morning. Both
ships had experienced the most terrible weather, and
every one on board the little Morning declared that she
had only been saved from disaster by the consummate
seamanship of Captain Colbeck.
A few days later the small fleet again set sail, and
after a most favourable voyage was at daybreak on
RELEASE 199
April i off the Heads of Lyttelton Harbour; and before
noon they were safely berthed alongside the jetty, from
which they had sailed with such hearty wishes more
than two years before.
6 New Zealand/ Scott said, ' welcomed us as its
own, and showered on us a wealth of hospitality and
kindness which assuredly we can never forget, however
difficult we may have found it to express our* thanks.
In these delightful conditions, with everything that
could make for perfect rest and comfort, we abode
for two full months before we set out on our last long
voyage/
June 8, however, found them at sea again, and a
month or so later they anchored in Port Stanley
(Falkland Islands), where they replenished their stock
of coal and took the last series of magnetic observations
in connection with their Southern Survey. And
from the Falkland Islands, Scott wrote a letter which
is yet another testimony of the admiration he felt for
his companions. ' The praise/ he wrote, ' for what-
ever success we have had is really due to the ship's
company as a whole rather than to individuals. That
is not very clear, perhaps; what I mean is that the
combination of individual effort for the common good
has achieved our results, and the absence of any spirit
of self-seeking. The motto throughout has been
" share and share alike," and its most practical form
lies, perhaps, in the fact that throughout our three
years there has been no distinction between the food
served to officers and men.
soo THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
* Under these circumstances I naturally feel that
I can claim no greater share of achievement than those
who have stood by me so loyally, and so I regard
myself merely as the lucky figure-head.
'But it is good news to hear that the Admiralty
are sympathetic, for I feel that no effort should be
spared to gain their recognition of the splendid quali-
ties displayed by officers and men/
Early on the morning of September 9 the homeland
was sighted, and for those who gazed longingly over
the bulwarks and waited to welcome and be welcomed,
there was only one cloud to dim the joy of their return.
For with the happiness came also the sad thought
that the end had come to those ties, which had held
together the small band of the Discovery in the closest
companionship and most unswerving loyalty.
THE LAST EXPEDITION
PREFACE TO ' SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION J
By SIR CLEMENTS R. MARKHAM, K.CB.
FOURTEEN years ago Robert Falcon Scott was a ris-
ing naval officer, able, accomplished, popular, highly
thought of by his superiors, and devoted to his noble
profession. It was a serious responsibility to induce
him to take up the work of an explorer; yet no man
living could be found who was so well fitted to com-
mand a great Antarctic Expedition. The undertaking
was new and unprecedented. The object was to ex-
plore the unknown Antarctic Continent by land.
Captain Scott entered upon the enterprise with
enthusiasm tempered by prudence and sound sense.
All had to be learnt by a thorough study of the history of
Arctic travelling, combined with experience of different
conditions in the Antarctic Regions. Scott was the
initiator and founder of Antarctic sledge-travelling.
His discoveries were of great importance. The
survey and soundings along the Barrier cliffs, the
discovery of King Edward Land, the discovery of Ross
Island and the other volcanic islets, the examination
of the Barrier surface, the discovery of the Victoria
Mountains a range of great height and many hun-
203
204 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
dreds of miles in length, which had only before been
seen from a distance out at sea and above all the dis-
covery of the great ice cap on which the South Pole is
situated, by one of the most remarkable Polar jour-
neys on record. His small but excellent scientific staff
worked hard and with trained intelligence, their results
being recorded in twelve large quarto volumes.
The great discoverer had no intention of losing
touch with his beloved profession though resolved to
complete his Antarctic work. The exigencies of the
naval service called him to the command of battle-
ships and to confidential work of the Admiralty;
so that five years elapsed before he could resume his
Antarctic labours.
The object of Captain Scott's second expedition
was mainly scientific, to complete and extend his
former work in all branches of science. It was his
ambition that in his ship there should be the most
completely equipped expedition for scientific purposes
connected with the Polar regions, both as regards men
and material, that ever left these shores. In this he
succeeded. He had on board a fuller complement of
geologists, one of them especially trained for the study,
of physiography, biologists, physicists, and surveyors
than ever before composed the staff of a Polar expedi-
tion. Thus Captain Scott's objects were strictly
scientific, including the completion and extension of
his former discoveries. The results will be explained
in the second volume of this work. They will be found
to be extensive and important. Never before, in the
PREFACE 205
Polar regions, have meteorological, magnetic and tidal
observations been taken, in one locality, during five
years. It was also part of Captain Scott's plan to
reach the South Pole by a long and most arduous
journey, but here again his intention was, if possible,
to achieve scientific results on the way, especially
hoping to discover fossils which would throw light on
the former history of the great range of mountains
which he had made known to science.
The principal aim of this great man for he rightly
has his niche among the Polar Dii Majores was the
advancement of knowledge. From all aspects Scott
was among the most remarkable men of our time, and
the vast number of readers of his journal will be
deeply impressed with the beauty of his character.
The chief traits which shone forth through his life
were conspicuous in the hour of death. There are few
events in history to be compared, for grandeur and
pathos, with the last closing scene in that silent wilder-
ness of snow. The great leader, with the bodies of
his dearest friends beside him, wrote and wrote until
the pencil dropped from his dying grasp. There was
no thought of himself, only the earnest desire to give
comfort and consolation to others in their sorrow. His
very last lines were written lest he who induced him
to enter upon Antarctic work should now feel regret
for what he had done.
* If I cannot write to Sir Clements, tell him I
thought much of him, and never regretted his putting
me in command of the Discovery.
206 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
The following appointments were held in the Royal
Navy by Captain Scott between 1905 and 1910:
January to July, 1906 .
Aug. 21, 1906, to Jan. i, 1907
Jan. 2, 1907, to Aug. 24, 1907
Aug. 25, 1907, to Jan. 24, 1908
Jan. 25, 1908, to May 29, 1908 .
May 30, 1908, to March 23, 1909
Admiralty (Assistant Di-
rector of Naval Intel-
ligence).
Victorious (Flag Captain
to Rear-Admiral Eger-
ton, Rear- Admiral in
the Atlantic Fleet).
Albermarle (Flag Captain
to Rear-Admiral Eger-
ton, Rear-Admiral in
the Atlantic Fleet).
Not actively employed
afloat between these
dates.
Essex ( Captain ) .
Bulwark (Flag Captain to
Rear-Admiral Colwille,
Rear-Admiral the Nore
Division, Home Fleet).
Then Naval Assistant to Second Sea Lord of the Admiralty.
Appointed to H.M.S. President for British Antarctic Expedi-
tion June I, 1910.
BEFORE THE LAST VOYAGE 207
On September 2, 1908, at Hampton Court Palace,
Captain Scott was married to Kathleen, daughter of
the late Canon Lloyd Bruce. Peter Markham Scott
was born on September 14, 1909.
On September 13, 1909, Captain Scott published
his plans for the British Antarctic Expedition of the
following year, and his appeal resulted in 10,000
being collected as a nucleus fund. Tben the Govern-
ment made a grant of 20,000, and grants followed
from the Governments of Australia, New Zealand,
and South Africa.
Nine days after the plans were published arrange*
ments were made to purchase the steamship Terra
Nova, the largest and strongest of the old Scottish
whalers. The original date chosen for sailing was
August I, 1910, but owing to the united efforts of
those engaged upon the fitting out and stowing of
the ship, she was able to leave Cardiff on June 15.
Business, however, prevented Captain Scott from
leaving England until a later date, and in consequence
he sailed in the Saxon to South Africa, and there
awaited the arrival of the Terra Nova.
208 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, 1910
SHORE PARTIES
Officers
Name Rank, &c.
ROBERT FALCON SCOTT . , Captain, C.V.O., R.N.
EDWARD R. G. R. EVANS . . Lieutenant, R.N.
VICTOR L. A. CAMPBELL . . Lieutenant, R.N. (Emergency
List).
HENRY R. BOWERS . . . Lieutenant, R.LM.
LAWRENCE E. G. GATES . . Captain 6th I nnis killing Dra-
goons.
G. MURRAY LEVICK . . . Surgeon, R.N.
EDWARD L. ATKINSON . . Surgeon, R. N., Parasitologist.
Scientific Staff
EDWARD ADRIAN WILSON . . B.A., M.B. (Cantab), Chief of
the Scientific Staff, and Zo-
ologist.
GEORGE C SIMPSON . . . D.Sc. f Meteorologist.
T. GRIFFITH TAYLOR . . . B.A., B.Sc., B.E., Geologist.
EDWARD W. NELSON . . . Biologist,
FRANK DEBENHAM . . . B.A., BSc., Geologist.
CHARLES S. WRIGHT . . B.A., Physicist.
RAYMOND E. PRIESTLEY . Geologist
HERBERT G. PONTING . F.R.G.S., Camera Artist.
CECIL H. MEARES . . In Charge of Dogs.
BERNARD C. DAY . . Motor Engineer.
APSLEY CHERRY-GARRARD . BA. t Asst. Zoologist.
THYGGVE GRAN . . . Sub-Lieutenant, Norwegian N.R. f
B.A. f Ski Expert
BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, 1910 209
Men
W. LASHLY, Chief Stoker,
RJf.
W. W. ARCHER, Chief Stew-
ard, late R.N.
THOMAS CLISSOLD, Cook, late
R.N.
PATRICK KEOHANE, Petty Offi-
cer, jRJV.
GEORGE P. ABBOTT, Petty Offi-
cer, R.N.
FRANK V, BROWNING, Petty
Officer, 2nd Class, R.N.
EDGAR EVANS, Petty Officer, HARRY DICKASON, Able Sea-
R.N.
man, R.N.
ROBERT FORDE, Petty Officer, F. J. HOOPER, Steward, late
R.N.
THOMAS CREAN, Petty Officer,
RJf.
THOMAS S. WILLIAMSON,
Petty Officer, R.N.
RJf.
ANTON OMELCHENKO,
Groom,
DEMETRI GEROF, Dog
Driver,
SHIP'S PARTY
Officers, &c.
HARRY L. L. PENNELL .
HENRY E. DE P. RENNICK
WILFRED M. BRUCE .
FRANCIS R. H. DRAKE .
DENIS G. LILLIE
. Lieutenant, R.N.
. Lieutenant, R*N.
. Lieutenant, RJf JR.
. Asst. Paymaster, R.N. (Re-
tired), Secretary and Meteo-
rologist in Ship,
. MA., Biologist in Ship.
JAMES R. DENNISTOUN, In WILLIAM A. HORTON, Eng.
Charge of Mules in Ship. Rm. Art, yd Class, jRJV.j
ALFRED B. CHEETHAM. R.NJR., 2nd Engineer.
Boatswain. FRANCIS E. C. DAVIES, Lead-
WILLIAM WILLIAMS, Chief ing Shipwright, R.N.
Engine-room Artificer, R.N., FREDERICK PARSONS, Petty
2nd Engineer. Officer, n XT
THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
WILLIAM L. HEALD, Late
P.O., R.N.
ARTHUR S. BAILEY, Petty
Officer, 2nd Class, R.N.
ALBERT BALSON, Leading Sea-
man, R.N.
JOSEPH LEESE, Able Seaman,
R.N.
JOHN HUGH MATHER, Petty
Officer, R.NV.R.
ROBERT OLIPHANT, Able Sea-
man.
THOMAS F. McLEOD, Able
Seaman.
MORTIMER MCCARTHY, Able
Seaman.
WILLIAM KNOWLES, Able Sea-
man.
CHARLES WILLIAMS, Able
man.
JAMES SKELTON, Able Seaman.
WILLIAM MCDONALD, Able
Seaman.
JAMES PATON, Able Seaman*
ROBERT BRISSENDEN, Leading
Stoker, R.N.
EDWARD A. MCKJENZIE, Lead-
ing Stoker, R.N.
WILLIAM BURTON, Leading
Stoker, R.N.
BERNARD J. STONE, Leading
Stoker, R.N.
ANGUS MCDONALD, Fireman.
THOMAS McGiLLON, Fireman.
CHARLES LAMMAS, Fireman.
W. H. NEALE, Steward.
CHAPTER I
THROUGH STORMY SEAS
The ice was here, the tee was there,
The ice was all around:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,
Like noises in a swound. COLERIDGE.
No sooner was it known that Scott intended to lead
another Antarctic expedition than he was besieged by
men anxious to go with him. The selection of a small
company from some eight thousand volunteers was
both a difficult and a delicate task, but the fact that the
applications were so numerous was at once a convinc-
ing proof of the interest shown in the expedition, and
a decisive answer to the dismal cry that the spirit
of romance and adventure no longer exists in the
British race.
On June 15, 1910, the Terra Nova left Cardiff upon
her great mission, and after a successful voyage arrived,
on October 28, at Lyttelton. There an enormous
amount of work had to be done before she could be
ready to leave civilisation, but as usual the kindness
received in New Zealand was ' beyond words/
A month of strenuous labour followed, and then, on
212 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
November 26, they said farewell to Lyttelton, and
after calling at Port Chalmers set out on Tuesday, the
29th, upon the last stage of their voyage. Two days
later they encountered a stiff wind from the N.W. and
a confused sea.
6 The ship a queer and not altogether cheerful sight
under the circumstances.
f Below one knows all space is packed as tight as
human skill can devise and on deck ! Under the fore-
castle fifteen ponies close side by side, seven one side,
eight the other, heads together and groom between
swaying, swaying continually to the plunging, irregular
motion. 5
Outside the forecastle and to leeward of the fore
hatch were four more ponies, and on either side of the
main hatch were two very large packing-cases contain-
ing motor sledges, each 16 X 5 X 4. A third sledge
stood across the break of the poop in the space hitherto
occupied by the after winch, and all these cases were
so heavily lashed with heavy chain and rope lashings
that they were thought to be quite secure. The petrol
for the sledges was contained in tins and drums pro-
tected in stout wooden packing-cases, which were
ranged across the deck immediately in front of the
poop and abreast the motor sledges.
Round and about these packing-cases, stretching
from the galley forward to the wheel aft, coal bags
containing the deck cargo of coal were stacked; and
upon the coal sacks, and upon and between the motor
sledges, and upon the ice-house were the thirty-three
dogs. Perforce they had to be chained up, and although
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 213
they were given as much protection as possible, their
position was far from pleasant. * The group formed/
in Scott's opinion, *a picture of wretched dejection:
such a life is truly hard for these poor creatures/
The wind freshened with great rapidity on Thursday
evening, and very soon the ship was plunging heavily
and taking much water over the lee rail. Cases of all
descriptions began to break loose on the upper deck,
the principal trouble being caused by the loose coal
bags, which were lifted bodily by the seas and swung
against the lashed cases. These bags acted like
battering rams, no lashings could possibly have with-
stood them, and so the only remedy was to set to work
and heave coal sacks overboard and re-lash the cases.
During this difficult and dangerous task seas contin-
ually broke over the men, and at such times they had
to cling for dear life to some fixture to prevent them-
selves from being washed overboard. No sooner was
some appearance of order restored than another un-
usually heavy wave tore away the lashings, and the
work had to be done all over again.
As the night wore on the sea and wind continued to
rise, and the ship to plunge more and more. ' We
shortened sail to main topsail and staysail, stopped
engines and hove to, but to little purpose/
From Oates and Atkinson, who worked through
the entire night, reports came that it was impossible
to keep the ponies on their legs. But worse news was
to follow, for in the early morning news came from
the engine-room that the pumps had choked, and that
the water had risen over the gratings.
214 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
From that moment, about 4 A.M., the engine-room
became the centre of interest, but in spite of every
effort the water still gained. Lashly and Williams, up
to their necks in rushing water, stuck gamely to the
work of clearing suctions, and for a time, with donkey
engine and bilge pump sucking, it looked as if the water
might be got under. But the hope was short-lived;
five minutes of pumping invariably led to the same
result a general choking of the pumps.
The ship was very deeply-laden and was in con-
siderable danger of becoming waterlogged, in which
condition anything might have happened. The hand
pump produced nothing more than a dribble and its
suction could not be reached, for as the water crept
higher it got in contact with the boiler and eventually
became so hot that no one could work at the suctions.
A great struggle to conquer these misfortunes followed,
but Williams had at last to confess that he was beaten
and must draw fires.
* What was to be done ? Things for the moment
appeared very black. The sea seemed higher than
ever; it came over lee rail and poop, a rush of green
water; the ship wallowed in it; a great piece of the
bulwark carried clean away. The bilge pump is
dependent on the main engine. To use the pump
it was necessary to go ahead. It was at such times
that the heaviest seas swept in over the lee rail; over
and over again the rail, from the forerigging to the
main, was covered by a solid sheet of curling water
which swept aft and high on the poop. On one
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 215
occasion I was waist deep when standing on the rail
of the poop.'
All that could be done for the time being was to
organise the afterguard to work buckets, and to keep
the men steadily going on the choked hand-pumps,
which practically amounted to an 'attempt to bale
out the ship! For a day and a night the string of
buckets was passed up a line from the engine-room;
and while this arduous work was going on the officers
and men sang chanties, and never for a moment lost
their good spirits.
In the meantime an effort was made to get at
the suction of the pumps; and by 10 P.M. on Friday
evening a hole in the engine-room bulkhead had been
completed. Then E. R. Evans, wriggling over the
coal, found his way to the pump shaft and down it,
and cleared- the suction of the coal balls (a mixture
of coal and oil) which were choking it. Soon after-
wards a good stream of water came from the pump,
and it was evident that the main difficulty had been
overcome. Slowly the water began to decrease in the
engine-room, and by 4 A.M. on Saturday morning the
bucket-parties were able to stop their labours.
The losses caused by this gale were serious enough,
but they might easily have been worse. Besides the
damage to the bulwarks of the ship, two ponies, one
dog, ten tons of coal, sixty-five gallons of petrol, and
a case of biologists' spirit were lost Another dog
was washed away with such force that his chain broke
and he disappeared, but the next wave miraculously
216 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
washed him back on board. In a few hours everyone
was hopeful again, but anxiety on account of the ponies
remained. With the ship pitching heavily to a south-
westerly swell, at least two of these long-suffering
animals looked sadly in need of a spell of rest, and
Scott's earnest prayer was that there might be no
more gales. * December ought to be a fine month in
the Ross Sea; it always has been, and just now condi-
tions point to fine weather. Well, we must be prepared
for anything, but I'm anxious, anxious about these
animals of ours.'
Meanwhile Bowers and Campbell had worked
untiringly to put things straight on deck, and with
the coal removed from the upper deck and the petrol
re-stored, the ship was in much better condition to
fight the gales. 'Another day/ Scott wrote on
Tuesday, December 6, ' ought to put us beyond the
reach of westerly gales '; but two days later the ship
was once more plunging against a stiff breeze and
moderate sea, and his anxiety about the ponies was
greater than ever. The dogs, however, had recovered
wonderfully from the effects of the great gale, their
greatest discomfort being that they were almost
constantly wet.
During Friday, December 9, some very beautiful
bergs were passed, the heights of which varied from
sixty to eighty feet. Good progress was made during
this day, but the ice streams thickened as they ad-
vanced, and on either side of them fields of pack began
to appear. Yet 5 , after the rough weather they had
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 217
been having, the calm sea was a blessing even if the ice
had arrived before it was expected. 'One can only
imagine the relief and comfort afforded to the ponies,
but the dogs are visibly cheered and the human element
is full of gaiety. The voyage seems full of promise
in spite of the imminence of delay/
Already Scott was being worried by the pace at
which the coal was going, and he determined if the
pack became thick to put out the fires and wait for the
ice to open. Very carefully all the evidence of former
voyages had been examined so that the best meridian
to go south on might be chosen, and the conclusion
arrived at was that the 178 W. was the best. They
entered the pack more or less on this meridian, and
were rewarded by meeting worse conditions than any
ship had ever experienced worse, indeed, than Scott
imagined to be possible on any meridian which they
might have chosen. But as very little was known about
the movements of the pack the difficulties of making a
choice may very easily be imagined, and, in spite of
disappointments, Scott's opinion that the 178 W. was
the best meridian did not change. 'The situation of
the main bodies of pack/ he says, f and the closeness
with which the floes are packed depend almost entirely
on the prevailing winds. One cannot tell what winds
have prevailed before one's arrival; therefore one
cannot know much about the situation or density.
Within limits the density is changing from day to day
and even from hour to hour; such changes depend on
the wind, but it may not necessarily be a local wind,
218 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
so that at times they seem almost mysterious. One
sees the floes pressing closely against one another at
a given time, and an hour or two afterwards a gap of a
foot or more may be seen between each. When the
floes are pressed together it is difficult and sometimes
impossible to force a way through, but when there is
release of pressure the sum of many little gaps allows
one to take a zigzag path.*
During Sunday they lay tight in the pack, and after
service at 10 A.M. all hands exercised themselves on
ski over the floes and got some delightful exercise.
' I have never thought of anything as good as this life.
The novelty, interest, colour, animal life, and good
fellowship go to make up an almost ideal picnic just
at present/ one of the company wrote on that same
day an abundant proof that if delays came they
brought their compensations with them.
With rapid and complete changes of prospect they
managed to progress on the Monday with much
bumping and occasional stoppages, but on the following
day they were again firmly and tightly wedged in the
pack. To most of them, however, the novelty of the
experience prevented any sense of impatience, though
to Scott the strain of waiting and wondering what he
ought to do as regards the question of coal was bound
to be heavy.
This time of waiting was by no means wasted, for
Gran gave hours of instruction in the use of ski, and
Meares took out some of the fattest dogs and exercised
them with a sledge. Observations were also constantly
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 219
taken, while Wilson painted some delightful pictures
and Ponting took a number of beautiful photographs
of the pack and bergs. But as day followed day and
hopes of progress were not realised, Scott, anxious to
be free, decided on Monday, December 19, to push
west. "Anything to get out of these terribly heavy
floes. Great patience is the only panacea for our ill
case. It is bad luck/
Over and over again when the end of their troubles
seemed to be reached, they found that the thick pack
was once more around them. And what to do under
the circumstances called for most difficult decisions. If
the fires were let out it meant a dead loss of two tons of
coal when the boilers were again heated. But these
two tons only covered a day under banked fires, so
that for anything longer than twenty-four hours it
was a saving to put out the fires. Thus at each stop-
page Scott was called upon to decide how long it was
likely to last.
Christmas Day came with the ice still surrounding
the ship, but although the scene was s altogether too
Christmassy/ a most merry evening was spent. For
five hours the officers sat round the table and sang
lustily, each one of them having to contribute two
songs to the entertainment. ' It is rather a surprising
circumstance/ Scott remarks, * that such an unmusical
party should be so keen on singing/
Christmas, however, came and went without any
immediate prospect of release, the only bright side of
this exasperating delay being that everyone was
220 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
prepared to exert himself to the utmost, quite regard-
less of the results of his labours. But on Wednesday,
December 28, the ponies, despite the unremitting care
and attention that Oates gave to them, were the cause
of the gravest anxiety. * These animals are now the
great consideration, balanced as they are against the
coal expenditure/
By this time, although the ice was still all around
them, many of the floes were quite thin, and even the
heavier ice appeared to be breakable. So, after a con-
sultation with Wilson, Scott decided to raise steam, and
two days later the ship was once more in the open sea.
From the gth to the 3Oth they had been in the
pack, and during this time 370 miles had been covered
in a direct line. Sixty-one tons 1 of coal had been
used, an average of six miles to the ton, and although
these were not pleasant figures to contemplate, Scott
considered that under the exceptional conditions they
might easily have been worse. For the ship herself
he had nothing but praise to give. ' No other ship,
not even the Discovery, would have come through so
well. ... As a result I have grown strangely attached
to the Terra Nova. As she bumped the floes with
mighty shocks, crushing and grinding her way through
some, twisting and turning to avoid others, she seemed
like a living thing fighting a great fight. If only she
had more economical engines she would be suitable in
all respects/
1 When the Terra Nova left Lyttelton she had 460 tons of
coal on board.
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 221
Scientifically as much as was possible had been
done, but many of the experts had of necessity been
idle in regard to their o\vn specialties, though none
of them were really idle; for those who had no special
work to do were magnificently eager to find any
kind of work that required to be done. ' Everyone
strives to help everyone else, and not a word of
complaint or anger has been heard on board. The
inner life of our small community is very pleasant
to think upon, and very wonderful considering the
extremely small space in which we are confined* The
attitude of the men is equally worthy of admiration.
In the forecastle as in the wardroom there is a rush
to be first when work is to be done, and the same
desire to sacrifice selfish consideration to the success
of the expedition. It is very good to be able to
write in such high praise of one's companions, and I
feel that the possession of such support ought to
ensure success. Fortune would be in a hard mood
indeed if it allowed such a combination of knowl-
edge, experience, ability, and enthusiasm to achieve
nothing.'
Fortune's wheel, however, was not yet prepared
to turn in their favour, for after a very few hours of
the open sea a southern blizzard met them. In the
morning watch of December 31, the wind and sea
increased and the outlook was very distressing, but
at 6 A.M. ice was sighted ahead. Under ordinary
conditions the safe course would have been to go,
about and stand to the east, but on this occasion
222 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Scott was prepared to run the risk of trouble if he
could get the ponies into smoother water. Soon they
passed a stream of ice over which the sea was break-
ing heavily, and the danger of being among loose
floes in such a sea was acutely realised. But presently
they came to a more compact body of floes, and run-
ning behind this they were agreeably surprised to
find themselves in comparatively smooth water. There
they lay to in a sort of ice bay, and from a dangerous
position had achieved one that was safe as long as
their temporary shelter lasted.
As the day passed their protection, though still sav-
ing them from the heavy swell, gradually diminished,
but 1910 did not mean to depart without giving them
an Old Year's gift and surprise. 'At 10 P.M. to-night
as the clouds lifted to the west a distant but splendid
view of the great mountains was obtained. All were
in sunshine; Sabine and Whewell were most con-
spicuous the latter from this view is a beautiful sharp
peak, as remarkable a landmark as Sabine itself.
Mount Sabine was no miles away when we saw it.
I believe we could have seen it at a distance of thirty
or forty miles farther such is the wonderful clearness
of the atmosphere.'
The New Year brought better weather with it,
and such good progress was made that by mid-day
on Tuesday, January 3, the ship reached the Barrier
five miles east of Cape Crozier. During the voyage
they had often discussed the" idea of making their
winter station at this Cape, and the prospect had
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 223
seemed to become increasingly fascinating the more
they talked of it.
But a great disappointment awaited them, for
after one of the whale boats had been lowered and
Scott, Wilson, Griffith Taylor, Priestley, and E. R.
Evans had been pulled towards the shore, they
discovered that the swell made it impossible for them
to land.
* No good ! ! Alas ! Cape Crozier with all its attrac-
tions is denied us.'
On the top of a floe they could see an old Emperor
penguin moulting and a young one shedding its down.
This was an age and stage of development of the
Emperor chick of which they were ignorant, but
fortune decreed that this chick should be undisturbed.
Of this incident Wilson wrote in his Journal: *A
landing was out of the question. . . . But I assure
you it was tantalising to me, for there, about 6 feet
above us on a small dirty piece of the old bay ice
about ten feet square, one living Emperor penguin
chick was standing disconsolately stranded, and close
by stood one faithful old Emperor parent asleep.
This young Emperor was still in the down, a most
interesting fact in the bird's life history at which we
had rightly guessed, but which no one had actually
observed before. . . . This bird would have been a
treasure to me, but we could not risk life for it, so it
had to remain where it was.'
Sadly and reluctantly they had to give up hopes
of making their station at Cape Crozier, and this
224 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
was all the harder to bear because every detail of the
shore promised well for a wintering party. There
were comfortable quarters for the hut, ice for water,
snow for the animals, good slopes for skiing, proximity
to the Barrier and to the rookeries of two types of
penguins, good ground for biological work, a fairly
easy approach to the Southern Road with no chance
of being cut off, and so forth. * It is a thousand pities
to have to abandon such a spot.'
The Discovery's post-office was still standing as
erect as when it had been planted, and comparisons
between what was before their eyes and old photo-
graphs showed that no change at all seemed to have
occurred anywhere a result that in the case of the
Barrier caused very great surprise.
In the meantime all hands were employed in mak-
ing a running survey, the programme of which was :
Bruce continually checking speed with hand log.
f Bowers taking altitudes of objects as they come
abeam.
Nelson noting results.
f Pennell taking verge plate bearings on bow and
< quarter.
( Cherry-Garrard noting results.
( Evans taking verge plate bearings abeam.
( Atkinson noting results.
j Campbell taking distances abeam with range finder.
( Wright noting results.
j Rerinick sounding with Thomson machine.
( Drake noting results.
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 225
* We plotted the Barrier edge from the point at
which we met it to the Crozier cliffs; to the eye it
seems scarcely to have changed since Discovery days,
and Wilson thinks it meets the cliff in the same place. 5
Very early on Wednesday morning they rounded
Cape Bird and came in sight of Mount Discovery and
the Western Mountains. * It was good to see them
again, and perhaps after all we are better this side of
the Island. It gives one a homely feeling to see such
a familiar scene.' Scott's great wish now was to
find a place for winter quarters that would not easily
be cut off from the Barrier, and a cape, which in the
Discovery days had been called ' the Skuary/ was
chosen. * It was separated from old Discovery quar-
ters by two deep bays on either side of the Glacier
Tongue, and I thought that these bays would remain
frozen until late in the season, and that when they
froze over again the Ice would soon become firm/
There Scott, Wilson, and E. R. Evans landed, and
at a glance saw, as they expected, that the place
was ideal for their wintering station. A spot for the
hut was chosen on a beach facing north-west and
well protected behind by numerous small hills; but
the most favourable circumstance of all in connection
with this cape, which- was re-christened Cape Evans,
was the strong chance of communication being
established at an early date with Cape Armitage. 1
Not a moment was wasted, and while Scott was
1 The extreme south point of the Island, 12 miles further, on
one of whose minor headlands, Hut Point, stood the Discovery
hut.
226 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
on shore Campbell took the first steps towards land-
ing the stores.
Fortunately the weather was gloriously calm and
fine, and the landing began under the happiest con-
ditions. Two of the motors were soon hoisted out,
and in spite of all the bad weather and the tons of
sea-water that had washed over them the sledges
and all the accessories appeared to be in perfect
condition. Then came the turn of the ponies, and
although it was difficult to make some of them enter
the horse box, Oates rose to the occasion and got
most of them in by persuasion, while the ones which
refused to be persuaded were simply lifted in by
the sailors. * Though all are thin and some few
looked pulled down I was agreeably surprised at the
evident vitality which they still possessed some were
even skittish. I cannot express the relief when the
whole seventeen were safely picketed on the floe/
Meares and the dogs were out early on the Wednes-
day morning, and ran to and fro during most of the
day with light loads. The chief trouble with the dogs
was due to the fatuous conduct of the penguins,
the latter showing a devouring curiosity in the pro-
ceedings and a total disregard for their own safety,
with the result that a number of them were killed.
In spite of innumerable efforts to teach the penguins
to keep out of reach, they only squawked and ducked,
as much as to say, ' What's it got to do with you, you
silly ass? Let us alone/ These incidents naturally
demoralised the dogs and annoyed Meares, who,
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 227
while trying to stop one sledge, fell into the middle
of the dogs and was carried along until they reached
the penguins of their desire.
The motor sledges were running by the afternoon,
Day managing one and Nelson the other. * It is
early to call them a success, but they are certainly
extremely promising.' Before night the site for the
hut was levelled, and the erecting party was encamped
on shore in a large tent with a supply of food for eight
days. Nearly all the timber, &c., for the hut and a
supply of food for both ponies and dogs had also been
landed.
Despite this most strenuous day's labour, all hands
were up again at 5 A.M. on Thursday,
* Words cannot express the splendid way in which
everyone works and gradually the work gets organised.
I was a little late on the scene this morning, and thereby
witnessed a most extraordinary scene. Some six or
seven killer whales, old and young, were skirting the
fast floe edge ahead of the ship; they seemed excited
and dived rapidly, almost touching the floe. As we
watched, they suddenly appeared astern, raising their
snouts out of water. I had heard weird stories of
these beasts, but had never associated serious danger
with them. Close to the water's edge lay the wire stern
rope of the ship, and our two Esquimaux dogs were
tethered to this. I did not think of connecting the
movements of the whales with this fact, and seeing
them so close I shouted to Ponting, who was standing
abreast of the ship. He seized his camera and ran
228 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
towards the floe edge to get a close picture of the
beasts, which had momentarily disappeared. The next
moment the whole floe under him and the dogs heaved
up and split into fragments. One could hear the
" booming" noise as the whales rose under the ice
and struck it with their backs. Whale after whale
rose under the ice, setting it rocking fiercely; luckily
Ponting kept his feet and was able to fly to security.
By an extraordinary chance also, the splits had been
made around and between the dogs, so that neither
of them fell into the water. Then it was clear that
the whales shared our astonishment, for one after an-
other their huge hideous heads shot vertically into
the air through the cracks which they had made . . ,
There cannot be a doubt that they looked up to see
what had happened to Ponting and the dogs. . . .
' Of course, we have known well that killer whales
continually skirt the edge of the floes and that they
would undoubtedly snap up anyone who was
unfortunate enough to fall into the water; but
the facts that they could display such deliberate
cunning, that they were able to break ice of such
thickness (at least 254 feet), and that they could act
in unison, were a revelation to us. It is clear that
they are endowed with singular intelligence, and in
future we shall treat that intelligence with every
respect'
On Thursday the motor sledges did good work,
and hopes that they might prove to be reliable began to
increase. Infinite trouble had been taken to obtain
THROUGH STORMY SEAS 229
the most suitable material for Polar work, and the three
motor sledge tractors were the outcome of experiments
made at Lantaret in France and at Lillehammer and
Fefor in Norway, with sledges built by the Wolseley
Motor Company from suggestions offered principally
by B. T\ Hamilton, R. W. Skelton, and Scott himself.
With his rooted objection to cruelty in any shape or
form, Scott had an intense, and almost pathetic, desire
that these sledges should be successful; over and over
again he expressed his hopes and fears of them.
With ponies, motor sledges, dogs, and men parties
working hard, the transportation progressed rapidly
on the next two days, the only drawback being that
the ice was beginning to get thin in the cracks and
on some of the floes. Under these circumstances the
necessity for wasting no time was evident, and so on
the Sunday the third motor was got out and placed on
the ice, and Scott, leaving Campbell to find the best
crossing for the motor, started for the shore with a
single man load.
Soon after the motor had been brought out Campbell
ordered that it should be towed on to the firm ice,
because the ice near the ship was breaking up. And
then, as they were trying to rush the machine over
the weak place, Williamson suddenly went through;
and while he was being hauled out the ice under the
motor was seen to give, and slowly the machine went
right through and disappeared. The men made
strenuous efforts to keep hold of the rope, but it cut
through the ice towards them with an increasing strain,
230 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
and one after another they were obliged to let go.
Half a minute later nothing remained but a big hole,
and one of the two best motors was lying at the bottom
of 'the sea.
The ice, too, was hourly becoming more dangerous,
and it was clear that those who were on shore were
practically cut off from the ship. So in the evening
Scott went to the ice-edge farther to the north, and
found a place where the ship could come and be near
ice heavy enough for sledging. Then he semaphored
directions to Pennell, and on the following morning
the ship worked her way along the ice-edge to the spot
that had been chosen.
A good solid road was formed right up to the ship,
and again the work of transportation went on with the
greatest energy. In this Bowers proved 'a perfect
treasure/ there was not a single case he did not know
nor a single article on which he could not at once place
his hand, and every case as it came on shore was
checked by him.
On Tuesday night, January 10, after six days in
McMurdo Sound, the landing was almost completed,
and early in the afternoon of Thursday a message was
sent from the ship that nothing remained on board
except mutton, books, pictures, and the pianola.
* So at last we really are a self-contained party ready
for all emergencies. We are LANDED eight days after
our arrival a very good record/
CHAPTER II
DEP6T LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP
And the deed of high endeavour
Was no more to the favoured few,
But brain and heart were the measure
Of what every man might do.
RENNELL RODD.
WHILE the landing was being carried out, the buildin s
party had worked so rapidly that, if necessity had
arisen, the hut could have been inhabited by the I2th;
at the same time another small party had been engaged
in making a cave in the ice which was to serve as
a larder, and this strenuous work continued until the
cave was large enough to hold all the mutton, and
a considerable quantity of seal and penguin. Close
to this larder Simpson and Wright were busy in exca-
vating for the differential magnetic hut.
In every way indeed such good progress had been
made that Scott could begin to think about the depot
journey. The arrangements of this he discussed with
Bowers, to whose grasp of the situation he gives the
highest praise. ' He enters into one's ideas at once,
and evidently thoroughly understands the principles
of the game/
Of these arrangements Wilson wrote in his journal:
231
232 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
c He (Scott) wants me to be a driver with himself,
Meares, and Teddie Evans, and this is what I would
have chosen had I had a free choice of all. The
dogs run in two teams and each team wants two
men. It means a lot of running as they are being
driven now, but it is the fastest and most interesting
work of all, and we go ahead of the whole caravan
with lighter loads and at a faster rate. . . . About
this time next year may I be there or thereabouts!
With so many young bloods in the heyday of youth
and strength beyond my own I feel there will be a most
difficult task in making choice towards the end and a
most keen competition and a universal lack of selfish-
ness and self-seeking, with a complete absence of any
jealous feeling in any single one of any of the com-
paratively large number who at present stand a chance
of being on the last piece next summer. ... I have
never been thrown in with a more unselfish lot of men
each one doing his utmost fair and square in the most
cheery manner possible/
Sunday, January 15, was observed as a * day of
rest/ and at 10 A.M. the men and officers streamed
over from the ship, and Scott read Divine Service on
the beach. Then he had a necessary but unpalatable
task to perform, because some of the ponies had not
fulfilled expectations, and Campbell had to be told that
the two allotted to him must be exchanged for a pair
of inferior animals. At this time the party to be led
by Campbell was known as the Eastern Party, but,
owing to the impossibility of landing on King Ed-
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 233
ward's Land, they were eventually taken to the north
part of Victoria Land, and thus came to be known as
the Northern Party. Scott's reluctance to make the
alteration in ponies is evident, but in writing of it he
says: * He (Campbell) took it like the gentleman he
is, thoroughly appreciating the reason/
On that same afternoon Scott and Meares took a
sledge and nine dogs, some provisions, a cooker and
sleeping-bags, and started to Hut Point; but, on their
arrival at the old Discovery hut, a most unpleasant
surprise awaited them, for to their chagrin they found
that some of Shackleton's party, who had used the
hut for shelter, had left it in an uninhabitable state.
* There was something too depressing in finding
the old hut in such a desolate condition. * . . To
camp outside and feel that all the old comfort and
cheer had departed, was dreadfully heartrending. I
went to bed thoroughly depressed. It seems a funda-
mental expression of civilised human sentiment that
men who come to such places as this should leave
what comfort they can to welcome those who follow,
and finding that such a simple duty had been neg-
lected by our immediate predecessors oppressed me
horribly/
After a bad night they went up the hills, and
there Scott found much less snow than he had ever
seen. The ski run was completely cut through in two
places, the Gap and Observation Hill were almost bare,
on the side of Arrival Heights was a great bare slope,
and on the top of Crater Heights was an immense bare
234 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
tableland. The paint was so fresh and the inscrip-
tion so legible on the cross put up to the memory of
Vince that it looked as if it had just been erected, and
although the old flagstaff was down it could with very
little trouble have been put up again. Late in the
afternoon of Monday Scott and Meares returned to
Cape Evans, and on the following day the party took
up their abode in the hut.
1 The word " hut," ' Scott wrote, * is misleading.
Our residence is really a house of considerable size, in
every respect the finest that has ever been erected in
the Polar regions. The walls and roof have double
thickness of boarding and seaweed insulation on both
sides of the frames. The roof with all its coverings
weighs six tons. The outer shell is wonderfully solid
therefore and the result is extraordinary comfort and
warmth inside, whilst the total weight is comparatively
small. It amply repays the time and attention given
to its planning.
' On the south side Bowers has built a long annex,
to contain spare clothing and ready provisions, on the
north there is a solid stable to hold our fifteen ponies
in the winter. At present these animals are picketed
on long lines laid on a patch of snow close by, above
them, on a patch of black sand and rock, the dogs ex-
tend in other long lines. Behind them again is a most
convenient slab of hard ice in which we have dug two
caverns. The first is a larder now fully stocked with
seals, penguins, mutton, and beef. The other is de-
voted to science in the shape of differential magnetic
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 235
instruments which will keep a constant photographic
record of magnetic changes. Outside these caverns is
another little hut for absolute magnetic observations,
and above them on a small hill, the dominant miniature
peak of the immediate neighbourhood, stand the
meteorological instruments and a flagstaff carrying the
Union Jack.
' If you can picture our house nestling below this
small hill on a long stretch of black sand, with many
tons of provision cases ranged in neat blocks in front
of it and the sea lapping the ice-foot below, you will
have some idea of our immediate vicinity. As for
our wider surroundings it would be difficult to describe
their beauty in sufficiently glowing terms. Cape Evans
is one of the many spurs of Erebus and the one that
stands closest under the mountain, so that always
towering above us we have the grand snowy peak
with its smoking summit. North and south of us
are deep bays, beyond which great glaciers come rip-
pling over the lower slopes to thrust high blue-walled
snouts into the sea. The sea is blue before us, dotted
with shining bergs or ice floes, whilst far over the
Sound, yet so bold and magnificent as to appear near,
stand the beautiful Western Mountains with their
numerous lofty peaks, their deep glacial valley and
clear-cut scarps, a vision of mountain scenery that
can have few rivals.
'Ponting is the most delighted of men; he
declares this is the most beautiful spot he has ever
seen, and spends all day and most of the night
236 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
in what he calls " gathering it in " with camera and
cinematograph.
* 1 have told you of the surroundings of our house,
but nothing of its internal arrangements. They are
in keeping with the dignity of the mansion.
'The officers (16) have two-thirds of the interior,
the men (9) the remaining third; the dividing line is
fixed by a wall of cases containing things which suffer
from being frozen.
* In the officers' quarters there is an immense dark
room, and next it on one side a space devoted to the
physicist and his instruments, and on the other a space
devoted to charts, chronometers and instruments
generally.
* I have a tiny half cabin of my own, next this Wil-
son and Evans have their beds. On the other side is a
space set apart for five beds, which are occupied by
Meares, Oates, Atkinson, Garrard and Bowers. Tay-
lor, Debenham and Gran have another proportional
space opposite. Nelson and Day have a little cabin of
their own with a bench. Lastly Simpson and Wright
occupy beds bordering the space set apart for their
instruments and work. In the centre is a 12- foot table
with plenty of room for passing behind its chairs. . . .
s To sum up, the arrangements are such that
everyone is completely comfortable and conveniently
placed for his work in fact we could not be better
housed. Of course a good many of us will have a small
enough chance of enjoying the comforts of our home.
We shall be away sledging late this year and off again
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 237
early next season, but even for us It will be pleasant
to feel that such comfort awaits our return/
So in less than a fortnight after the arrival In
McMurdo Sound they had absolutely settled down, and
were anxious to start upon their depot journey as soon
as the ponies had recovered thoroughly from the effects
of the voyage. These autumn journeys, however, re-
quired much thought and preparation, mainly because
the prospect of the parties being cut off from their
winter quarters necessitated a great deal of food being
taken both for men and animals. Sledging gear and
wintering boots were served out to the selected travellers,
sledges were prepared by P.O. Evans and Crean, and
most of the stores were tested and found to be most ex-
cellent in quality. * Our clothing is as good as good.
In fact first and last, running through the whole extent of
our outfit, I can say with pride that there is not a single
arrangement which I would have had altered. . . .
Everything looks hopeful f6r the depot journey if only
we can get our stores and ponies past the Glacier Tongue. '
Thus Scott wrote on the 2Oth, but the following day
brought a serious suspense with it; for during the after-
noon came a report that the Terra Nova was ashore,
and Scott, hastening to the Cape, saw at once that she
was firmly fixed and in a very uncomfortable position.
Visions of the ship being unable to return to New
Zealand arose in his mind ( with sickening pertinacity/
and it was characteristic of him that at the moment
when there was every prospect of a complete dis-
arrangement of well-laid plans, he found his one con-
238 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
solation in determining that, whatever happened, noth-
ing should interfere with the southern work.
The only possible remedy seemed to be an extensive
lightening of the ship with boats, as the tide had
evidently been high when she struck. Scott, with two
or three companions, watched anxiously from the shore
while the men on board shifted cargo aft, but no ray of
hope came until the ship was seen to be turning very
slowly, and then they saw the men running from side to
side and knew that an attempt was being made to roll
her off. At first the rolling produced a more rapid
turning movement, and then she seemed again to hang
though only for a short time. Meanwhile the engines
had been going astern and presently a slight movement
became apparent, but those who were watching the
ship did not know that she was getting clear until they
heard the cheers on board. Then she gathered stern
way and was clear.
' The relief was enormous. The wind dropped as
she came off, and she is now securely moored off the
northern ice-edge, where I hope the greater number of
her people are finding rest. For here and now I must
record the splendid manner in which these men are
working. I find it difficult to express my admiration
for the manner in which the ship is handled and
worked under these very trying circumstances . . .
Pennell has been over to tell me about it to-night; I
think I like him more every day/
On that same day Meares and Oates went to the
Glacier Tongue and satisfied themselves that the ice
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 239
was good; and with the 25th fixed for the date of
departure it was not too much to hope that the ice
would remain for three or four more days. The ponies
for Campbell's party were put on board on the 22nd,
but when Scott got up at 5 A.M. on the following
morning he saw, to his astonishment, that the ice
was going out of the bay in a solid mass. Then
everything was rushed on at top speed, and a wonderful
day's work resulted. All the forage, food, sledges and
equipment were got off to the ship at once, the dogs
followed; in short everything to do with the depot
party was hurriedly put on board except the ponies,
which were to cross the Cape and try to get over
the Southern Road on the morning of the 24th.
The Southern Road was the one feasible line of
communication between the new station at Cape
Evans and the Discovery hut, for the rugged mountains
and crevassed ice-slopes of Ross Island prevented a
passage by land. The Road provided level going
below the cliffs of the ice- foot except where disturbed
by the descending glacier; and there it was necessary
to cross the body of the glacier itself. It consisted
of the more enduring ice in the bays and the sea-ice
along the coast, which only stayed fast for the season.
Thus it was most important to get safely over the
dangerous part of this Road before the seasonal going-
out of the sea-ice. To wait until after the ice went out
and the ship could sail to Hut Point would have meant
both uncertainty and delay. Scott knew well enough
that the Road might not hold for many more hours,
240 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
and it actually broke up on the very day after the party
had passed.
Early on Tuesday, January 24, a boat from the
ship fetched Scott and the Western Party; and at
the same time the ponies were led out of the camp,
Wilson and Meares going ahead of them to test the
track. No sooner was Scott on board than he was
taken to inspect Lillie's catch of sea animals. * It
was wonderful, quantities of sponges, isopods, penta-
pods, large shrimps, corals, &c. &c.; but the piece de
resistance was the capture of several bucketsful of
cephalodiscus of which only seven pieces had been pre^
viously caught. Lillie is immensely pleased, feeling
that it alone repays the whole enterprise.' In the fore-
noon the ship skirted the Island, and with a telescope
those on board could watch the string of ponies
steadily progressing over the sea-ice past the Razor
Back Islands; and, as soon as they were seen to be well
advanced, the ship steamed on to the Glacier Tongue,
and made fast in the narrow angle made by the sea-
ice with the glacier.
, Then, while Campbell investigated a broad crack
in the sea ice on the Southern Road, Scott went to
meet the ponies, which, without much difficulty, were
got on to the Tongue, across the glacier, and then
were picketed on the sea-ice close to the ship. But
when Campbell returned with the news that the big
crack was 30 feet across, it was evident that they
must get past it on the glacier, and Scott asked him to
peg out a road clear of cracks.
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 241
Soon afterwards Oates reported that the ponies
were ready to start again, and they were led along
Campbell's road, their loads having already been taken
on the floe. At first all went well, but when the animals
got down on the floe level and Oates led across an old
snowed-up crack, the third pony made a jump at the
edge and sank to its stomach in the middle. Gradu-
ally it sank deeper and deeper until only its head and
forelegs showed above the slush. With some trouble
ropes were attached to these, and the poor animal,
looking very weak and miserable, was eventually
pulled out.
After this experience the other five ponies were led
farther round to the west and were got safely out on
the floe; a small feed was given to them, and then
they were started off with their loads.
The dogs in the meantime were causing some
excitement for, starting on hard ice with a light load,
they obviously preferred speed to security. Happily,
however, no accident happened, and Scott, writing
from Glacier Tongue on January 24, was able to say :
* All have arrived safely, and this evening we start
our sledges south. I expect we shall have to make
three relays to get all our stores on to the Barrier
some fifteen miles away. The ship is to land a geolo-
gising party on the west side of the Sound, and then
to proceed to King Edward's Land to put the Eastern
party on short/
The geologising party consisted of Griffith Taylor,
Debenham, Wright, and P.O. Evans, and for reasons
242 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
already mentioned the Eastern party were ventually
known as the Northern party
On the night of the 24th Scott camped six miles
from the glacier and two miles from Hut Point, he and
Wilson having driven one team of dogs, while Meares
and E. Evans drove the other. But on the following
day Scott drove his team to the ship, and /when the
men had been summoned aft he thanked them for
their splendid work.
* They have behaved like bricks and a finer lot
of fellows never sailed in a ship. ... It was a little
sad to say farewell to all these good fellows and Camp-
bell and his men. I do most heartily trust that all
will be successful in their ventures, for indeed their
unselfishness and their generous high spirit deserves
reward. God bless them/
How completely Scott's hopes were realised in
the case of Campbell's party is now well known.
Nothing more miraculous than the story of their
adventures has ever been told. The party consisted
of Campbell, Levick, Priestley, Abbott, Browning, and
Dickason, and the courage shown by the leader and
his companions in facing endless difficulties and priva-
tions has met with the unstinted admiration that it
most thoroughly deserved.
For the depot laying journey Scott's party con-
sisted of 12 men (Wilson, Bowers, Gates, Atkinson,
Cherry-Garrard, E. Evans, Gran, Meares, Forde,
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 243
Keohane, Crean, and himself), 8 ponies and 26
dogs. Of the dogs he felt at this time more than a
little doubtful, but the ponies were in his opinion
bound to be a success. ' They work with such extraor-
dinary steadiness, stepping out briskly and cheerfully,
following in each other's tracks. The great draw-
back is the ease with which they sink in soft snow;
they go through in lots of places where the men
scarcely make an impression they struggle pluckily
when they sink, but it is trying to watch them.'
In three days he hoped that all the loads would
be transported to complete safety, and on Friday,
the 27th, only one load remained to be brought from
Hut Point. The strenuous labour of this day tired out
the dogs, but the ponies worked splendidly. On
the next day, however, both Keohane's and Bowers'
ponies showed signs of breaking down, and Gates
began to take a gloomy view of the situation. In
compensation for these misfortunes the dogs, as they
got into better condition, began to do excellent work.
During Sunday they ran two loads for over a mile
past the stores on the Barrier to the spot chosen for
' Safety Camp/ the big home depot. ' I don't think
that any part of the Barrier is likely to go, but it's
just as well to be prepared for everything, and our
camp must deserve its distinctive title of " Safety/' '
By this time the control of the second dog team
had been definitely handed over to Wilson, and in
his journal he gives an admirable account of his
experiences. f The seals have been giving a lot of
244 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
trouble, that is just to Meares and myself with our
dogs. . . . Occasionally when one pictures oneself quite
away from trouble of that kind, an old seal will pop
his head up at a blowhole a few yards ahead of the
team, and they are all on top of him before one can
say " knife " ! Then one has to rush in with the whip
and every one of the team of eleven jumps over the
harness of the dog next to him, and the harnesses
become a muddle that takes much patience to unravel,
not to mention care lest the whole team should get
away with the sledge and its load, and leave one
behind. ... I never did get left the whole of this
depot journey, but I was often very near it, and
several times had only time to seize a strap or a part
of the sledge, and be dragged along helter-skelter
over everything that came in the way, till the team
got sick of galloping and one could struggle to one's
feet again. One gets very wary and wide-awake
when one has to manage a team of eleven dogs and a
sledge load by oneself, but it was a most interesting
experience, and I had a delightful leader, " Stareek "
by name Russian for " Old Man," and he was the
most wise old man. . . . Dog driving like this in
the orthodox manner is a very different thing from the
beastly dog driving we perpetrated in the Discovery
days. ... I got to love all my team and they got
to know me well. . . . Stareek is quite a ridiculous
" old man " and quite the nicest, quietest, cleverest
old dog I have ever come across. He looks in
face as if he knew all the wickedness of all the world
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 245
and all its cares, and as if he were bored to death
by them/
When Safety Camp was reached there was no need
for haste until they started upon their journey. * It
is only when we start that we must travel fast' Work,
however, on the Monday was more strenuous than
successful, for the ponies sank very deep and had
great difficulty in bringing up their loads. During
the afternoon Scott disclosed his plan of campaign,
which was to go forward with five weeks' food for men
and animals, then to depot a fortnight's supply after
twelve or thirteen days and return to Safety Camp.
The loads for ponies under this arrangement worked
out at a little over 600 Ibs., and for the dog teams at
700 Ibs., both apart from sledges. Whether the ponies
could manage these loads depended on the surface, and
there was a great possibility that the dogs would
have to be lightened, but under the circumstances it
was the best plan they could hope to carry out.
On Tuesday when everything was ready for the
start the one pair of snow-shoes was tried on ' Weary
Willy * with magical effect In places where he had
floundered woefully without the shoes he strolled
round as if he was walking on hard ground. Im-
mediately after this experiment Scott decided that an
attempt must be made to get more snow-shoes, and
within half an hour Meares and Wilson had started,
on the chance that the ice had not yet gone out, to
the station twenty miles away. But on the next
day they returned with the news that there was no
246 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
possibility of reaching Cape Evans, and an additional
stroke of bad fortune fell when Atkinson's foot, which
had been troublesome for some time, was examined,
and found to be so bad that he had to be left behind
with Crean as a companion.
Writing on Wednesday, February i, from e Safety
Camp, Great Barrier/ Scott said : * I told you that
we should be cut off from our winter station, and
that I had to get a good weight of stores on to the
Barrier to provide for that contingency. We are safely
here with all requisite stores, though it has taken nearly
a week. But we find the surface very soft and the
ponies flounder in it, I sent a dog team back yesterday
to try and get snow-shoes for ponies, but they found
the ice broken south of Cape Evans and returned this
morning. Everyone is doing splendidly and gaining
the right sort of experience for next year. Every mile
we advance this year is a help for next/
At last the start was made on Thursday, February
2, but when, after marching five miles, Scott asked for
their one pair of snow-shoes, he found that they had
been left behind, and Gran whose expertness on
ski was most useful immediately volunteered to go
back and get them. While he was away the party
rested, for at Scott's suggestion they had decided to
take to night marching. And so at 12.30 A.M. they
started off once more on a surface that was bad at first
but gradually improved, until just before camping time
Bowers, who was leading, suddenly plunged into soft
snow. Several of the others, following close behind
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 247
him, shared the same fate, and soon three ponies were
plunging and struggling in a drift, and had to be
unharnessed and led round from patch to patch until
firmer ground was reached.
Then came another triumph for the snow-shoes
which were put on Bowers' pony, with the result that
after a few miniites he settled down, was harnessed
to his load, and brought in not only that but also
another over places into which he had previously been
plunging. Again Scott expressed his regret that such
a great help to their work had been left behind at the
station, and it was all the more trying for him to see
the ponies half engulfed in the snow, and panting 1
and heaving from the strain, when the remedies for
this state of affairs were so near and yet so impossible
to reach.
During the next march ten miles were covered, and
the ponies, on a better surface, easily dragged their
loads, but signs of bad weather began to appear in ths
morning, and by 4 P.M. on Saturday a blizzard arrived
and held up the party in Corner Camp for three days.
' No fun to be out of the tent but there are no
shirkers with us. Gates has been out regularly to feed
the ponies; Meares and Wilson to attend to the dogs;
the rest of us as occasion required/
The ponies looked fairly comfortable during the
blizzard, but when it ceased and another march was
made on Tuesday night, the effects of the storm were
too clearly seen. All of them finished the march
listlessly, and two or three were visibly thinner.
THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
But by far the worst sufferer was Forde's c Blucher/
whose load was reduced to 200 Ibs., and finally Forde
pulled this in and led his pony. Extra food was given
in the hope that they would soon improve again;
but at all costs most of them had got to be kept alive,
and Scott began to fear that very possibly the journey
would have to be curtailed.
During the next two marches, however, the ponies
seemed to be stronger. ' Surface very good and animals
did splendidly/ Scott wrote on Friday, February 10,
and then gave in his diary for the day an account of
their nightly routine. ' We turn out of our sleeping-
<bags about 9 P.M. Somewhere about 11.30 I shout to
the Soldier * " How are things? " There is a response
suggesting readiness, and soon after figures are busy
amongst sledges and ponies. It is chilling work for the
fingers and not too warm for the feet. The rugs come
off the animals, the harness is put on, tents and camp
equipment are loaded on the sledges, nosebags filled
for the next halt; one by one the animals are taken
off the picketing rope and yoked to the sledge. Gates
watches his animal warily, reluctant to keep such a
nervous creature standing in the traces. If one is
prompt one feels impatient and fretful whilst watching
one's more tardy fellows. Wilson and Meares hang
about ready to help with odds and ends.
* Still we wait : the picketing lines must be gathered
up, a few pony putties need adjustment, a party has
been slow striking their tent. With numbed fingers on
1 Gates.
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 249
our horse's bridle and the animal striving to turn its
head from the wind one feels resentful. At last all is
ready. One says " All right, Bowers, go ahead/' and
Birdie leads his big animal forward, starting, as he
continues, at a steady pace. The horses have got
cold and at the word they are off, the Soldier's and
one or two others with a rush. Finnesko give poor
foothold on the slippery sastrugi, 1 and for a minute
or two drivers have some difficulty in maintaining
the pace on their feet. Movement is warming, and in
ten minutes the column has settled itself to steady
marching.
' The pace is still brisk, the light bad, and at intervals
one or another of us suddenly steps on a slippery
patch and falls prone. These are the only real in-
cidents of the march for the rest it passes with a
steady tramp and slight variation of formation. The
weaker ponies drop a bit but not far, so that they
are soon up in line again when the first halt is made:
We have come to a single halt in each half march.
Last night it was too cold to stop long and a very
few minutes found us on the go again.
* As the end of the half march approaches I get
out my whistle. Then at a shrill blast Bowers wheels
slightly to the left, his tent mates lead still farther
out to get the distance for the picket lines; Oates
and I stop behind Bowers and Evans, the two other
sledges of our squad behind the two other of Bowers'.
So we are drawn up in camp formation. The picket
1 Irregularities formed by the wind on a snow-plain.
250 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
lines are run across at right angles to the line of aoU
vance and secured to the two sledges at each end. In
a few minutes ponies are on the lines covered, tents
up again and cookers going.
' Meanwhile the dog drivers, after a long cold wait
at the old camp, have packed the last sledge and come
trotting along our tracks. They try to time their
arrival in the new camp immediately after our own,
and generally succeed well. The mid-march halt
runs into an hour to an hour and a half, and at the
end we pack up and tramp forth again. We generally
make our final camp about 8 o'clock, and within
an hour and a half most of us are in our sleeping-
bags. ... At the long halt we do our best for our
animals by building snow walls and improving their
rugs, &c.
A softer surface on the nth made the work much
more difficult, and even the dogs, who had been
pulling consistently well, showed signs of exhaustion
before the march was over. Early on Sunday morning
they were near the 79th parallel, and exact bearings
had to be taken, since this camp, called Bluff Camp,
was expected to play an important part in the
future. By this time three of the ponies, Blossom,
James Pigg, and Blucher, were so weak that Scott
decided to send E. Evans, Forde and Keohane back
with them.
Progress on the next march was interrupted by a
short blizzard, and Scott, not by any means for the
first time, was struck by Bowers' imperviousness to
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 251
cold. * Bowers/ he wrote, ' is wonderful. Throughout
the night he has worn no head-gear but a common
green felt hat kept on with a chin-stay and affording
no cover whatever for the ears. His face and ears
remain bright red. The rest of us were glad to have
thick Balaclavas and wind helmets. I have never
seen anyone so unaffected by the cold. To-night he
remained outside a full hour after the rest of us had
got into the tent. He was simply pottering about
the camp doing small jobs to the sledges, &c. Cherry-
Garrard is remarkable because of his eyes. He can
only see through glasses and has to wrestle with all
sorts of inconveniences in consequence. Yet one could
never guess it for he manages somehow to do more
than his share of the work/
Another disappointing day followed, on which the
surface was so bad that the ponies frequently sank
lower than their hocks, and the soft patches of snow
left by the blizzard lay in sandy heaps and made
great friction for the runners. Still, however, they
struggled on; but Gran with Weary Willy could not
go the pace, and when they were three-quarters of a
mile behind the others the dog teams (which always
left the camp after the others) overtook them. Then
the dogs got out of hand and attacked Weary Willy,
who put up a sterling fight but was bitten rather badly
before Meares and Gran could drive off the dogs.
Afterwards it was discovered that Weary Willy's
load was much heavier than that of the other ponies,
and an attempt to continue the march had quickly
252 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
to be abandoned owing to his weak condition. As
some compensation for his misfortunes he was given
a hot feed, a large snow wall, and some extra sacking,
and on the following day he showed appreciation of
these favours by a marked improvement. Bowers*
pony, however, refused work for the first time, and
Oates was more despondent than ever; ' But/ Scott
says, * Fve come to see that this is a characteristic
of him. In spite of it he pays every attention to the
weaker horses/
No doubt remained on the Thursday that both
Weary Willy and Bowers' pony could stand very
little more, and so it was decided to turn back on the
following day. During the last march out the
temperature fell to 21 with a brisk south-west
breeze, and frost-bites were frequent. Bowers with
his ears still uncovered suffered severely, but while
Scott and Cherry-Garrard nursed them back he seemed
to feel nothing but surprise and disgust at the mere
fact of possessing such unruly organs. ( It seems
as though some of our party will find spring journeys
pretty trying. Gates' nose is always on the point of
being frost-bitten; Meares has a refractory toe which
gives him much trouble this is the worse prospect
for summit work. I have been wondering how I shall
stick the summit again, this cold spell gives ideas.
I think I shall be all right, but one must be prepared
for a pretty good doing/
The depot was built during the next day,
February 17, Lat. 79 29' S, and considerably over a
ton of stuff was landed.
DEPOT LAYING TO ONE TON CAMP 253
. . 7 weeks* full provision bags for I unit
. . 2, days' provision bags for I unit
. . 8 weeks' tea
. . 6 weeks' extra butter
. . Ibs. biscuit (7 weeks' full biscuit)
. . 8>4 gallons oil ( 12 weeks' oil for I unit)
. . 5 sacks of oats
. . 4 bales of fodder
. . Tank of dog biscuit
. . 2 cases of biscuit
2181
I skein white line
1 set breast harness
2 12 ft. sledges
2 pair ski, i pair ski sticks
i Minimum Thermometer*
i tin Rowntree cocoa
i tin matches
Sorry as Scott was not to reach 80, he was satisfied
that they had * a good leg up 5 for next year, and could
at least feed the ponies thoroughly up to this point. In
addition to a flagstaff and black flag, One Ton Camp
was marked with piled biscuit boxes to act as reflectors,
and tea-tins were tied on the top of the sledges, which
were planted upright in the snow. The depot cairn
was more than six feet above the surface, and so the
party had the satisfaction of knowing that it could
scarcely fail to show up for many miles.
1 See page 337.
CHAPTER III
PERILS
. , , Yet I argue not
Against Heaven's hand or will, nor bate a jot
Of heart or hope; but still bear up and steer
Right onward.
MILTONT.
ON the return journey Scott, Wilson, Meares and
Cherry-Garrard went back at top speed with the dog
teams, leaving Bowers, Gates and Gran to follow with
the ponies. For three days excellent marches were
made, the dogs pulling splendidly, and anxious as Scott
was to get back to Safety Camp and find out what had
happened to the other parties and the ponies, he was
more than satisfied with the daily records. But on
Tuesday, February 21, a check came in their rapid
journey, a check, moreover, which might have been a
most serious disaster.
The light though good when they started about
10 P.M. on Monday night quickly became so bad that
but little of the surface could be seen, and the dogs
began to show signs of fatigue. About an hour and a
half after the start they came upon mistily outlined
254
PERILS 255
pressure ridges and were running by the sledges when,
as the teams were trotting side by side, the middle dogs
of the teams driven by Scott and Meares began to
disappear. *We turned/ Cherry-Garrard says, 'and
saw their dogs disappearing one after another, like
dogs going down a hole after a rat/
In a moment the whole team were sinking; two
by two they vanished from sight, each pair struggling
for foothold. Osman, the leader, put forth all his
strength and most wonderfully kept a foothold. The
sledge stopped on the brink of the crevasse, and Scott
and Meares jumped aside.
In another moment the situation was realised.
They had actually been travelling along the bridge of a
crevasse, the sledge had stopped on it, while the dogs
hung in their harness in the abyss. * Why the sledge
and ourselves didn't follow the dogs we shall never
know. I think a fraction of a pound of added weight
must have taken us down/ Directly the sledge had
been hauled clear of the bridge and anchored, they
peered into the depths of the cracks. The dogs, sus-
pended in all sorts of fantastic positions, were howling
dismally and almost frantic with terror. Two of
them had dropped out of their harness and, far below,
could be seen indistinctly on a snow-bridge. The
rope at either end of the chain had bitten deep into the
snow at the side of the crevasse and with the weight
below could not possibly be moved.
By this time assistance was forthcoming from
Wilson and Cherry-Garrard, the latter hurriedly
256 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
bringing the Alpine rope, the exact position of which
on the sledge he most fortunately knew. The pros-
pect, however, of rescuing the team was not by any
means bright, and for some minutes every attempt
failed. In spite of their determined efforts they could
get not an inch on the main trace of the sledge or on
the leading rope, which with a throttling pressure was
binding poor Osman to the snow.
Then, as their thoughts became clearer, they set to
work on a definite plan of action. The sledge was
unloaded, and the tent, cooker, and sleeping-bags were
carried to a safe place; then Scott, seizing the lashing
off Meares' sleeping-bag, passed the tent-poles across
the crevasse, and with Meares managed to get a few
inches on the leading line. This freed Osman, whose
harness was immediately cut. The next step was to
secure the leading rope to the main trace and haul
up together. By this means one dog was rescued
and unlashed, but the rope already had cut so far
back at the edge that efforts to get more of it were
useless.
'We could now unbend the sledge and do that
for which we should have aimed from the first, namely,
run the sledge across the gap and work from it. 9 So
the sledge was put over the crevasse and pegged down
on both sides, Wilson holding on to the anchored
trace while the others worked at the leader end. The
leading rope, however, was so very small that Scott
was afraid of its breaking, and Meares was lowered
down to secure the Alpine rope to the leading end of
PERILS 257
the trace; when this had been done the chance o
rescuing* the dogs at once began to improve.
Two by two the dogs were hauled up until eleven
out of the thirteen were again in safety. Then Scott
began to wonder if the two other dogs could not be
saved, and the Alpine rope was paid down to see if
it was long enough to reach the bridge on which they
were coiled. The rope was 90 feet, and as the amount
remaining showed that the depth of the bridge was
about 65 feet, Scott made a bowline and insisted
upon being lowered down. The bridge turned out to
be firm, and he quickly got hold of the dogs and saw
them hauled to the surface. But before he could be
brought up terrific howls arose above, and he had to
be left while the rope-tenders hastened to stop a fight
between the dogs of the two teams.
'We then hauled Scott up/ Cherry-Garrard says;
' it was all three of us could do, my fingers a good deal
frost-bitten in the end. That was all the dogs, Scott
has just said that at one time he never hoped to get
back with the thirteen, or even half of them. When he
was down in the crevasse he wanted to go off exploring;
but we dissuaded him. . . . He kept on saying, " I
wonder why this is running the way it is, you expect
to find them at right angles. 3 ' '
For over two hours the work of rescue had con-
tinued, and after it was finished the party camped and
had a meal, and congratulated themselves on a mirac-
ulous escape. Had the sledge gone down Scott and
Meares must have been badly injured, if not killed out-
258 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
right, but as things had turned out even the dogs
showed wonderful signs of recovery after their ter-
rible experience.
On the following day Safety Camp was reached,
but the dogs were as thin as rakes and so ravenously
hungry that Scott expressed a very strong opinion that
they were underfed. 'One thing is certain, the dogs
will never continue to drag heavy loads with men
sitting on the sledges; we must all learn to run
with the teams and the Russian custom must be
dropped.'
At Safety Camp E. Evans, Forde and Keohane
were found, but to Scott's great sorrow two of their
ponies had died on the return journey. Forde had
spent hour after hour in nursing poor Blucher, and
although the greatest care had also been given to
Blossom, both of them were left on the Southern
Road. The remaining one of the three, James Pigg,
had managed not only to survive but actually to
thrive, and, severe as the loss of the two ponies was,
some small consolation could be gained from the fact
that they were the oldest of the team, and the two
which Gates considered to be the least useful.
After a few hours' sleep Scott, Wilson, Meares,
Cherry-Garrard and Evans started off to Hut Point,
and on arrival were astonished to find that, although
the hut had been cleared and made habitable, no one
was there. A pencil line on the wall stated that a
bag containing a mail was inside, but no bag was to be
found. But presently what turned out to be the true
PERILS 259
solution of this curious state of affairs was guessed,
namely, that Atkinson and Crean had been on their
way from the hut to Safety Camp as the others
had come from the camp to the hut, and later on
Scott saw their sledge track leading round on the
sea-ice.
Feeling terribly anxious that some disaster might
have happened to Atkinson and Crean owing to the
weakness of the ice round Cape Arrnitage, Scott and
his party soon started back to Safety Camp, but it
was not until they were within a couple of hundred
yards of their destination that they saw three tents
instead of two, and knew that Atkinson and Crean
were safe. No sooner, however, had Scott received his
letters than his feelings of relief were succeeded by
sheer astonishment.
* Every incident of the day pales before the start-
ling contents of the mail bag which Atkinson gave
me a letter from Campbell setting out his doings and
the finding of Amundsen established in the Bay
of Whales.
' One thing only fixes itself definitely in my mind.
The proper, as well as the wiser, course for us is to
proceed exactly as though this had not happened. To
go forward and do our best for the honour of the
country without fear or panic.
' There is no doubt that Amundsen's plan is a very
serious menace to ours. He has a shorter distance
to the Pole by 60 miles I never thought he could
have got so many dogs [116] safely to the ice. His
260 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
plan for running them seems excellent. But above
and beyond all he can start his journey early in the
season an impossible condition with ponies.'
The ship, to which Scott had said good-by a month
before, had, after landing the Western Geological Party
at Butter Point, proceeded along the Barrier, and on
February 5 had come across Amundsen camped in
the Bay of Whales. No landing place, however, for
Campbell's party could be found. ' This/ Campbell
says, * was a great disappointment to us all, but there
was nothing for it but to return to McMurdo Sound
to communicate with the main party, and then try
to effect a landing in the vicinity of Smith's Inlet or as
far to the westward as possible on the north coast of
Victoria Land, and if possible to explore the unknown
coast west of Cape North. We therefore made the
best of our way to Cape Evans, and arrived on the
evening of the 8th. Here I decided to land the two
ponies, as they would be very little use to us on the
mountainous coast of Victoria Land, and in view of
the Norwegian expedition I felt the Southern Party
would require all the transport available. After land-
ing the ponies we steamed up to the sea-ice by Glacier
Tongue, and from there, taking Priestley and Abbott,
I went with letters to Hut Point, where the depot party
would call on their way back/
Thus Scott came on Wednesday, February 22, to
receive the news which was bound to occupy his
thoughts, however resolutely he refused to allow it to
interfere in any way with his plans.
PERILS 261
Thursday was spent preparing sledges to meet
Bowers, Gates and Gran at Corner Camp, and on the
following day Scott, Crean and Cherry-Garrard with
one sledge and tent, E. Evans, Atkinson and Forde with
second sledge and tent, and Keohane leading James
Pigif* started their march. At 3 P.M. on Saturday
Scott turned out and saw a short black line on the
horizon towards White Island. Presently he made
certain that it was Bowers and his companions, but
they were travelling fast and failed to see Scott's camp;
so when the latter reached Corner Camp he did not
find Bowers, but was glad to see five pony walls and
consequently to know that all the animals were still alive.
Having depoted six full weeks' provisions, Scott,
Cherry-Garrard and Crean started for home, leaving
the others to bring James Pigg by easier stages. The
next day, however, had to be spent in the tent owing
to a howling blizzard, and not until the Tuesday did
Scott reach Safety Camp, where he found that the
ponies were without exception terribly thin, and that
Weary Willy was especially in a pitiable condition.
As no advantage was to be gained by staying at
Safety Camp, arrangements were made immediately
for a general shift to Hut Point, and about four o'clock
the two dog teams driven by Wilson and Meares got
safely away. Then the ponies were got ready to start,
the plan being for them to follow in the tracks of the
dogs; the route was over about six miles of sea-ice,
which, owing to the spread of water holes, caused Scott
to feel gravely anxious.
262 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
At the very start, however, Weary Willy fell down,
and his plight was so critical that Bowers, Cherry-
Garrard and Crean were sent on with Punch, Cuts,
Uncle Bill and Nobby to Hut Point, while Scott,
with Oates and Gran, decided to stay behind and
attend to the sick pony. But despite all the attempts
to save him, Weary Willy died during the Tuesday
night ' It makes a late start necessary for next year'
Scott wrote in his diary on Wednesday, March i, but
on the following day he had to add to this, * The
events of the past 48 hours bid fair to wreck the
expedition, and the only one comfort is the miraculous
avoidance of loss of life.'
Early on the morning following Weary Willy's
death, Scott, Oates and Gran started out and pulled
towards the forage depot, which was at a point on
the Barrier half a mile from the edge, in a S.S.E.
direction from Hut Point. On their approach the sky
looked black and lowering, and mirage effects of huge
broken floes loomed out ahead. At first Scott thought
that this was one of the strange optical illusions com-
mon in the Antarctic, but as he drew close to the depot
all doubt was dispelled. The sea was full of broken
pieces of Barrier edge, and at once his thoughts flew
to the ponies and dogs.
They turned to follow the sea-edge, and suddenly
discovering a working crack, dashed over it and
hastened on until they were in line between Safety
Camp and Castle Rock. Meanwhile Scott's first
thought was to warn E. Evans' party which was
PERILS 263
travelling back from Corner Camp with James Pigg.
* We set up tent, and Gran went to the depot with
a note as Gates and I disconsolately thought out the
situation. I thought to myself that if either party
had reached safety either on the Barrier or at Hut
Point they would immediately have sent a warning
messenger to Safety Camp. By this time the messen-
ger should have been with us. Some half-hour passed,
and suddenly with a " Thank God ! " I made certain
that two specks in the direction of Pram Point were
human beings.'
When, however, Scott hastened in their direction
he discovered them to be Wilson and Meares, who
were astonished to see him, because they had left
Safety Camp before the breakdown of Weary Willy
had upset the original programme. From them
Scott heard alarming reports that the ponies were
adrift on the sea-ice.
The startling incidents that had led to this state
of affairs began very soon after Bowers, Crean and
Cherry-Garrard had left Safety Camp with the ponies.
* I caught Bowers up at the edge of the Barrier, 1
Cherry-Garrard wrote in his diary, ' the dogs were on
ahead and we saw them turn and make right round
Cape Armitage. " Uncle Bill " got done, and I took
up the dog tracks which we followed over the tide
crack and well on towards Cape Armitage.
' The sea-ice was very weak, and we came to fresh
crack after fresh crack, and at last to a big crack
with water squelching through for many feet on both
264 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
sides. We all thought it impossible to proceed and
turned back. . . . The ponies began to get very done,
and Bowers decided to get back over the tide crack,
find a snowy place, and camp.
1 This had been considered with Scott as a possibility
and agreed to. Of course according to arrangements
then Scott would have been with the ponies.
* We camped about n P.M. and made walls for the
ponies. Bowers cooked with a primus of which the
top is lost, and it took a long time. He mistook curry
powder for cocoa, and we all felt very bad for a short
time after trying it. Crean swallowed all his. Other-
wise we had a good meal.
t While we were eating a sound as though ice
had fallen outside down the tent made us wonder.
At 2 A.M. we turned in, Bowers went out, and all
was quiet At 4.30 A.M. Bowers was wakened by a
grinding sound, jumped up, and found the situation
as follows:
' The whole sea-ice had broken up into small floes,
from ten to thirty or forty yards across. We were
on a small floe, I think about twenty yards across,
two sledges were on the next floe, and " Cuts " had
disappeared down the opening. Bowers shouted to
us all and hauled the two sledges on to our floe in
his socks. We packed anyhow, I don't suppose a
camp was ever struck quicker. It seemed to me im-
possible to go on with the ponies and I said so, but
Bowers decided to try,
* We decided that to go towards White Island
PERILS 265
looked best, and for five hours travelled in the follow-
ing way: we jumped the ponies over floe to floe as
the cracks joined. . . . We then man-hauled the
sledges after them, then according to the size of the
floe sometimes harnessed the ponies in again, some-
times man-hauled the sledge to the next crack, waited
cur chance, sometimes I should think five or ten
minutes, and repeated the process/
At length they worked their way to heavier floes
lying near the Barrier edge, and at one time thought
that it was possible to get up; but very soon they
discovered that there were gaps everywhere off the
high Barrier face. In this dilemma Crean volunteered
to try and reach Scott, and after travelling a great
distance and leaping from floe to floe, he found a thick
floe from which with the help of his ski stick he could
climb the Barrier face. c It was a desperate venture,
but luckily successful/
And so while Scott, Gates, Wilson, Meares and
Gran were discussing the critical situation, a man,
who proved to be Crean, was seen rapidly making for
the depot from the west.
As soon as Scott had considered the latest develop-
ment of the situation he sent Gran back to Hut Point
with Wilson and Meares, and started with Gates,
Crean, and a sledge for the scene of the mishap. A
halt was made at Safety Camp to get some provisions
and oil, and then, marching carefully round, they
approached the ice-edge, and to their joy caught
sight of Bowers and Cherry-Garrard. With the help
266 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
of the Alpine rope both the men were dragged to the
surface, and after camp had been pitched at a safe
distance from the edge all hands started upon salvage
work. The ice at this time lay close and quiet against
the Barrier edge, and some ten hours after Bowers
and Cherry-Garrard had -been hauled up, the sledges
and their contents were safely on the Barrier. But
then, just as the last loads were saved, the ice began
to drift again, and so, for the time, nothing could be
done for the ponies except to leave them well-fed
upon their floes.
* None of our party had had sleep the previous night
and all were dog tired. I decided we must rest,
but turned everyone out at 8.30 yesterday morning
[after three or four hours]. Before breakfast we dis-
covered the ponies had drifted away. We had tried
to anchor their floes with the Alpine rope, but the
anchors had drawn. It was a sad moment/
Presently, however, Bowers, who had taken the
binoculars, announced that he could see the ponies
about a mile to the N.W. ' We packed and went on
at once. We found it easy enough to get down to the
poor animals and decided to rush them for a last chance
of life. Then there was an unfortunate mistake:
I went along the Barrier edge and discovered what
I thought and what proved to be a practicable way
to land a pony, but the others meanwhile, a little
overwrought, tried to leap Punch across a gap. The
poor beast fell in; eventually we had to kill himit
was awful. I recalled all hands and pointed out my
PERILS 267
road. Bowers and Gates went out on it with a sledge
and worked their way to the remaining ponies, and
started back with them on the same track. . . . We
saved one pony; for a time I thought we should get
both, but Bowers' poor animal slipped at a jump and
plunged into the water : we dragged him out on some
brash ice killer whales all about us in an intense state
of excitement. The poor animal couldn't rise, and the
only merciful thing was to kill it. These incidents
were too terrible. At 5 P.M. (Thursday, March 2),
we sadly broke our temporary camp and marched back
to the one I had just pitched. ... So here we are
ready to start our sad journey to Hut Point. Every-
thing out of joint with the loss of our ponies, but
mercifully with all the party alive and well.'
At the start on the march back the surface was so
bad that only three miles were covered in four hours,
and in addition to this physical strain Scott was also
deeply anxious to know that E, Evans and his party
were safe; but while they were camping that night on
Pram Point ridges, Evans' party, all of whom were
well, came in. Then it was decided that Atkinson
should go on to Hut Point in the morning to take news
to Wilson, Meares and Gran, who were looking after
the dogs, and having a wretched time in trying to make
two sleeping-bags do the work of three.
On March 2 Wilson wrote in his journal : ' A very
bitter wind blowing and it was a cheerless job waiting
for six hours to get a sleep in the bag. ... As the
ice had all gone out of the strait we were cut off from
268 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
any return to Cape Evans until the sea should again
freeze over, and this was not likely until the end of
April. We rigged up a small fireplace in the hut and
found some wood and made a fire for an hour or so at
each meal, but as there was no coal and not much wood
we felt we must be economical with the fuel, and so
also with matches and everything else, in case Bowers
should lose his sledge loads, which had most of the
supplies for the whole party to last twelve men for two
months. . . . There was literally nothing in the hut
that one could cover oneself with to keep warm, and
we couldn't run to keeping the fire going. It was very
cold work. There were heaps of biscuit cases here
which we had left in Discovery days, and with these we
built up a small inner hut to live in/
On Saturday Scott and some of his party reached
the hut, and on Sunday he was able to write : c Turned
in with much relief to have all hands and the animals
safely housed/ Only two ponies, James Pigg and
Nobby, remained out of the eight that had started on
the depot journey, but disastrous as this was to the
expedition there was reason to be thankful that even
greater disasters had not happened.
CHAPTER IV
A HAPPY FAMILY
By mutual confidence and mutual aid
Great deeds are done and great discoveries made.
ANON.
WITH the certainty of having to stay in the Discovery
hut for some time, the party set to work at once to
make it as comfortable as possible. With packing-
cases a large L-shaped inner apartment was made, the
intervals being stopped with felt, and an empty
kerosene tin and some firebricks were made into an
excellent little stove which was connected to the old
stove-pipe.
As regards food almost an unlimited supply of
biscuit was available, and during a walk to Pram Point
on Monday, March 6, Scott and Wilson found that the
sea-ice in Pram Point Bay had not gone out and was
crowded with seals, a happy find that guaranteed the
party as much meat as they wanted. * We really have
everything necessary for our comfort and only need
a little more experience to make the best of our re-
sources. ... It is splendid to see the way in which
everyone is learning the ropes, and the resource which
269
270 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
is being shown. Wilson as usual leads in the making
of useful suggestions and in generally providing for our
wants. He is a tower of strength in checking the ill-
usage of clothes what I have come to regard as the
greatest danger with Englishmen/
On Saturday night a blizzard sprang up and gradu-
ally increased in force until it reminded Scott and Wil-
son of the gale which drove the Discovery ashore. The
blizzard continued until noon on Tuesday, on which
day the Western Geological Party (Griffith Taylor,
Wright, Debenham and P.O. Evans) returned to the
hut after a successful trip.
Two days later another depot party started to
Corner Camp, E. Evans, Wright, Crean and Forde
in one team; Bowers, Oates, Cherry-Garrard and At-
kinson in the other. ' It was very sporting of Wright
to join in after only a day's rest. He is evidently a
splendid puller/
During the absence of this party the comforts of
the hut were constantly being increased, but continu-
ous bad weather was both depressing to the men and
very serious for the dogs. Every effort had been
made to make the dogs comfortable, but the changes
of wind made it impossible to give them shelter in
all directions. At least five of them were in a sorry
plight, and half a dozen others were by no means
strong, but whether because they were constitutionally
harder or whether better fitted by nature to protect
themselves the other ten or a dozen animals were as
fit as they could be. As it was found to be impossible
to keep the dogs comfortable in the traces, the majority
A HAPPY FAMILY 271
of them were allowed to run loose; for although Scott
feared that this freedom would mean that there would
be some fights to the death, he thought it preferable
to the risk of losing the animals by keeping them on
the leash. The main difficulty with them was that
when the ice once got thoroughly into the coats their
hind legs became half paralysed with cold, but by
allowing them to run loose it was hoped that they would
be able to free themselves of this serious trouble.
' Well, well, fortune is not being very kind to us. This
month will have sad memories. Still I suppose things
might be worse; the ponies are well housed and are
doing exceedingly well. . . /
The depot party returned to the hut on March 23,
but though the sea by this time showed symptoms
of wanting to freeze, there was no real sign that the
ice would hold for many a long day. Stock therefore
was taken of their resources, and arrangements were
made for a much longer stay than had been anticipated.
A week later the ice, though not thickening rapidly,
held south of Hut Point, but the stretch from Hut
Point to Turtle Back Island still refused to freeze even
in calm weather, and Scott began to think that they
might not be able to get back to Cape Evans before'
May. Soon afterwards, however, the sea began to
freeze over completely, and on Thursday evening,
April 6, a programme, subject to the continuance of
good weather, was arranged for a shift to Cape Evans.
* It feels good,' Cherry-Garrard wrote, ' to have some-
thing doing in the air/ But the weather prevented
them from starting on the appointed day, and although
272 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Scott was most anxious to get back and see that all
was well at Cape Evans, the comfort achieved in the
old hut was so great that he confessed himself half-
sorry to leave it.
Describing their life at Hut Point he says, 'We
gather around the fire seated on packing-cases, with
a hunk of bread and butter and a steaming pannikin
of tea, and life is well worth living. After lunch we
are out and about again ; there is little to tempt a long
stay indoors, and exercise keeps us all the fitter.
' The failing light and approach of supper drives
us home again with good appetites about 5 or 6 o'clock,
and then the cooks rival one another in preparing
succulent dishes of fried seal liver. . . . Exclamations
of satisfaction can be heard every night or nearly
every night; for two nights ago (April 4) Wilson, who
has proved a genius in the invention of " plats," almost
ruined his reputation. He proposed to fry the seal
liver in penguin blubber, suggesting that the latter
could be freed from all rankness. . . , The " fry "
proved redolent of penguin, a concentrated essence of
that peculiar flavour which faintly lingers in the meat
and should not be emphasised. Three heroes got
through their pannikins, but the rest of us decided to
be contented with cocoa and biscuit after tasting the
first mouthful. 1
' After supper we have an hour or so of smoking
f 1 Wilson, referring to this incident in his Journal, showed no
signs of contrition. ' Fun over a fry I made in my new penguin
lard. It was quite a success and tasted like very bad sardine oil/
A HAPPY FAMILY 273
and conversation a cheering, pleasant hour in which
reminiscences are exchanged by a company which has
very literally had world-wide experience. There is
scarce a country under the sun which one or another
of us has not travelled in, so diverse are our origins
and occupations.
* An hour or so after supper we tail off one by
one. . . . Everyone can manage eight or nine hours'
sleep without a break, and not a few would have little
difficulty in sleeping the clock round, which goes to
show that our exceedingly simple life is an exceedingly
healthy one, though with faces and hands blackened
with smoke, appearances might not lead an outsider to
suppose it'
On Tuesday, April 11, a start could be made for
Cape Evans, the party consisting of Scott, Bowers,
P.O.Evans and Taylor in one tent; E. Evans, Gran,
Crean, Debenham and Wright in another; Wilson
being left in charge at Hut Point, with Meares, Forde,
Keohane, Oates, Atkinson and Cherry-Garrard.
In fine weather they marched past Castle Rock,
and it soon became evident that they must go well
along the ridge before descending, and that the
difficulty would be to get down over the cliffs. Seven
and a half miles from the start they reached Hutton
Rocks, a very icy and wind-swept spot, and as the
wind rose and the light became bad at the critical
moment they camped for a short time. Half an hour
later the weather cleared and a possible descent to
the ice cliffs could be seen, but between Hutton Rock
274 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
and Erebus all the slope was much cracked aifd
crevassed. A clear track to the edge of the cliffs was
chosen, but on arriving there no low place could be
found (the lowest part being 24 feet sheer drop), and
as the wind was increasing and the snow beginning to
drift off the ridge a quick decision had to be made.
Then Scott went to the edge, and having made
standing places to work the Alpine rope, Bowers, E.
Evans and Taylor were lowered Next the sledges
went down fully packed and then the remainder of
the party, Scott being the last to go down. It was a
neat and speedy piece of work, and completed in
twenty minutes without serious frost-bites.
The surface of ice covered with salt crystals made
pulling very heavy to Glacier Tongue, which they
reached about 5.30 P.M. A stiff incline on a hard
surface followed, but as the light was failing and cracks
were innumerable, several of the party fell in with
considerable risk of damage. The north side, how-
ever, was well snow-covered, with a good valley
leading to a low ice cliff in which a broken piece
provided an easy descent. Under the circumstances
Scott decided to push on to Cape Evans, but darkness
suddenly fell upon them, and after very heavy pulling
for many hours they were so totally unable to see
anything ahead, that at 10 P.M. they were compelled
to pitch their camp under little Razor Back Island.
During the night the wind began to rise, and in the
morning a roaring blizzard was blowing, and obviously
the ice on which they had pitched their camp was
A HAPPY FAMILY 275
none too safe. For hours they waited vainly for a
lull, until at 3 P.M. Scott and Bowers went round the
Island, with the result that they resolved to shift
their camp to a little platform under the weather side.
This operation lasted for two very cold hours, but
splendid shelter was gained, the cliffs rising almost
sheer from the tents. ' Only now and again a whirling
wind current eddied down on the tents, which were
well secured, but the noise of the wind sweeping over
the rocky ridge above our heads was deafening; we
could scarcely hear ourselves speak.' Provisions for
only one more meal were left, but sleep all the same
was easier to get than on the previous night, because
they knew that they were no longer in danger of being
swept out to sea.
The wind moderated during the night, and early
in the morning the party in a desperately cold and
stiff breeze and with frozen clothes were again under
weigh. The distance, however, was only two miles,
and after some very hard pulling they arrived off the
point and found that the sea-ice continued around it.
* It was a very great relief to see the hut on rounding
it and to hear that all was well/
In choosing the site of the hut Scott had thought
of the possibility of northerly winds bringing a swell,
but had argued, first, that no heavy northerly swell
had ever been recorded in the Sound; secondly, that
a strong northerly wind was bound to bring pack which
would damp the swell; thirdly, that the locality was
well protected by the Barne Glacier; and, lastly,
276 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
that the beach itself showed no signs of having been
swept by the sea. When, however, the hut had been
erected and he found that its foundation was only
eleven feet above the level of the sea-ice, he could not
rid himself entirely of misgivings.
As events turned out the hut was safe and sound
enough, but not until Scott reached it, on April 13,
did he realise how anxious he had been. ' In a normal
season no thoughts of its having been in danger would
have occurred to me, but since the loss of the ponies
and the breaking of Glacier Tongue, I could not rid
myself of the fear that misfortune was in the air and
that some abnormal swell had swept the beach/ So
when he and his party turned the small headland and
saw that the hut was intact, a real fear was mercifully
removed. Very soon afterwards the travellers were seen
by two men at work near the stables, and then the nine
occupants (Simpson, Day, Nelson, Ponting, Lashly,
Clissold, Hooper, Anton and Demetri) came rapidly to
meet and welcome them. In a minute the most im-
portant events of the quiet station life were told, the
worst news being that one pony, named Hacken-
schmidt, and one dog had died. For the rest the hut
arrangements had worked admirably, and the scientific
routine of observations was in full swing.
After their primitive life at the Discovery hut
the interior space of the home at Cape Evans seemed
palatial, and the comfort luxurious. ' It was very
good to eat in civilised fashion, to enjoy the first bath
for three months, and have contact with clean, dry
A HAPPY FAMILY 277
clothing-, Such fleeting hours of comfort (for custom
soon banished their delight) are the treasured re-
membrance of every Polar traveller. 1 Not for many
hours or even minutes, however, was Scott in the hut
before he was taken round to see in detail the trans-
formation that had taken place in his absence, and in
which a very proper pride was taken by those who
had created it.
First of all a visit was paid to Simpson's Corner,
where numerous shelves laden with a profusion of self-
recording instruments, electric batteries and switch-
boards were to be seen, and the tickings of many
clocks, the gentle whirr of a motor and occasionally
the trembling note of an electric bell could be heard.
* It took me days and even months to realise fully the
aims of our meteorologist and the scientific accuracy
with which he was achieving them/
From Simpson's Corner Scott was taken on his
tour of inspection into Ponting's dark room, and found
that the art of photography had never been so well
housed within the Polar regions and rarely without
them. * Such a palatial chamber for the development
of negatives and prints can only be justified by the
quality of the work produced in it, and is only justified
in our case by such an artist as Ponting/
From the dark room he went on to the biologists'
cubicle, shared, to their mutual satisfaction, by Day
and Nelson. There the prevailing note was neatness,
and to Day's mechanical skill everyone paid tribute.
The heating, lighting and ventilating arrangements
278 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
of the hut had been left entirely in his charge, and had
been carried out with admirable success. The cook's
corner was visited next, and Scott was very surprised
to see the mechanical ingenuity shown by Clissold.
* Later,' he says, * when I found that Clissold was called
in to consult on the ailments of Simpson's motor, and
that he was capable of constructing a dog sledge out
of packing-cases, I was less surprised, because I knew
by this time that he had had considerable training
in mechanical work before he turned his attention to
pots and pans/
The tour ended with an inspection of the shelters
for the animals, and when Scott saw the stables he could
not help regretting that some of the stalls would have
to remain empty, though he appreciated fully the fact
that there was ample and safe harbourage for the ten
remaining ponies. With Lashly's help, Anton had
completed the furnishing of the stables in a way that
was both neat and effective.
Only five or six dogs had been left in Demetri's
charge, and it was at once evident that every care
had been taken of them; not only had shelters been
made, but a small * lean to ' had also been built to
serve as a hospital for any sick animal. The impres-
sions, in short, that Scott received on his return to
Cape Evans were almost wholly pleasant, and in happy
contrast with the fears that had assailed him on the
homeward route.
Not for long, however, did he, Bowers and Crean
stay to enjoy the comforts of Cape Evans, as on
A HAPPY FAMILY 279
Monday, April 17, they were off again to Hut Point
with two lo-foot sledges, a week's provisions of sledg-
ing food, and butter, oatmeal, &c., for the hut. Scott,
Lashly, Day and Demetri took the first sledge;
Bowers, Nelson, Crean and Hooper the second; and
after a rather adventurous journey, in which ' Lashly
was splendid at camp work as of old/ they reached Hut
Point at i P.M. on the following day, and found every-
one well and in good spirits. The party left at the
hut were, however, very short of seal-meat, a cause of
anxiety, because until the sea froze over there was no
possibility of getting the ponies back to Cape Evans.
But three seals were reported on the Wednesday and
promptly killed, and so Scott, satisfied that this stock
was enough for twelve days, resolved to go back as
soon as the weather would allow him.
Leaving Meares in charge of the station with
Demetri to help with the dogs, Lashly and Koehane
to look after the ponies, and Nelson, Day and Forde
to get some idea of the life and experience, the home-
ward party started on Friday morning. On this
journey Scott, Wilson, Atkinson and Crean pulled one
sledge, and Bowers, Gates, Cherry-Garrard and Hooper
the other. Scott's party were the leaders, and their
sledge dragged so fearfully that the men with the sec-
ond sledge had a very easy time in keeping up. Then
Crean declared that although the loads were equal
there was a great difference in the sledges. ' Bowers/
Scott says, ' politely assented when I voiced this senti-
ment, but I am sure he and his party thought it the
280 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
plea of tired men. However, there was nothing like
proof, and he readily assented to change sledges. The
difference was really extraordinary; we felt the new
sledge a featherweight compared with the old, and set
up a great pace for the home quarters regardless of
how much we perspired/
All of them arrived at Cape Evans with their gar-
ments soaked through, and as they took off their wind
clothes showers of ice fell upon the floor. The accumu-
lation was almost beyond belief and showed the whole
trouble of sledging in cold weather. Clissold, how-
ever, was at hand with * just the right meal/ an enor-
mous dish of rice and figs, and cocoa in a bucket. The
sledging season was at an end, and Scott admitted that
in spite of all the losses they had sustained it was
good to be home again, while Wilson, Oates, Atkinson
and Cherry-Garrard, who had not seen the hut since it
had been fitted out, were astonished at its comfort.
On Sunday, April 23, two days after the return
from Hut Point, the sun made its last appearance and
the winter work was begun. Ponies for exercise were
allotted to Bowers, Cherry-Gerrard, Hooper, Clissold,
P.O. Evans and Crean, besides Oates and Anton, but
in making this allotment Scott was obliged to add a
warning that those who exercised the ponies would not
necessarily lead them in the spring.
Wilson at once began busily to paint, and Atkinson
was equally busy unpacking and setting up his steril-
isers and incubators. Wright began to wrestle with the
electrical instruments; Oates started to make bigger
stalls in the stables ; Cherry-Garrard employed himself
A HAPPY FAMILY 281
in building a stone house for taxidermy and with a
view to getting hints for a shelter at Cape Crdzier dur-
ing the winter, while Taylor and Debenham took
advantage of the last of the light to examine the topog-
raphy of the peninsula. E. Evans surveyed the Cape
and its neighbourhood, and Simpson and Bowers, in
addition to their other work, spent hours over balloon
experiments. In fact everyone was overflowing with
energy.
On Friday, April 28, Scott, eager to get the party
safely back from Hut Point, hoped that the sea had at
last frozen over for good, but a gale on the following
day played havoc with the ice; and although the strait
rapidly froze again, the possibility of every gale clear-
ing the sea was too great to be pleasant. Obviously,
however, it was useless to worry over a state of affairs
that could not be helped, and the arrangements for
passing the winter steadily progressed.
At Scott's request Cherry-Garrard undertook the
editorship of the South Polar Times and the follow-
ing notice was issued :
The first number of the South Polar Times will be
published on Midwinter Day.
All are asked to send in contributions, signed
anonymously, and to place these contributions in this
box as soon as possible. No contributions for this
number will be accepted after May 31.
A selection of these will be made for publication.
It is not intended that the paper shall be too
scientific.
282 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Contributions may take the form of prose, poetry
or drawing. Contributors whose writings will lend
themselves to illustration are asked to consult with
the Editor as soon as possible. , ^ .
r The Editor,
is. P. r.
The editor, warned by Scott that the work was
not easy and required a lot of tact, at once placed
great hopes in the assistance he would receive from
Wilson, and how abundantly these hopes were fulfilled
has been widely recognised not only by students of
Polar literature, but also by those who admire art
merely for art's sake.
On the evening of Tuesday, May 2, Wilson opened
the series of winter lectures with a paper on ' Antarctic
Flying Birds/ and in turn Simpson, Taylor, Ponting,
Debenham and others lectured on their special sub-
jects. But still the Discovery hut party did not appear,
although the strait (by May 9) had been frozen over
for nearly a week; and repeatedly Scott expressed
a wish that they would return. In the meantime there
was work and to spare for everyone, and as the days
went by Scott was also given ample opportunities to
get a thorough knowledge of his companions.
' I do not think/ he wrote, there can be any life
quite so demonstrative of character as that which we
had on these expeditions. One sees a remarkable
reassortment of values. Under ordinary conditions
it is so easy to carry a point with a little bounce;
self-assertion is a mask which covers many a weakness.
A HAPPY FAMILY 283
. , . Here the outward show Is nothing, It is the Jn-
. ward purpose that counts. So the " gods " dwindle and
the humble supplant them. Pretence is useless.
* One sees Wilson busy with pencil and colour box,
rapidly and steadily adding to his portfolio of charm-
ing sketches and at intervals filling the gaps in his
zoological work of Discovery times; withal ready and
willing to give advice and assistance to others at all
times; his sound judgment appreciated and therefore a
constant referee.
' Simpson, master of his craft . . . doing the work
of two observers at least , . . So the current meteoro-
logical and magnetic observations are taken as never
before on Polar expeditions/
' Wright, good-hearted, strong, keen, striving to
saturate his mind with the ice problems of this wonder-
ful region . . .*
And then after referring in terms of praise to the
industry of E. Evans, the versatile intellect of Taylor,
and the thoroughness and conscientiousness of Deben-
ham, Scott goes on to praise unreservedly the man to
whom the whole expedition owed an immense debt of
gratitude.
' To Bowers' practical genius is owed much of the
smooth working of our station. He has a natural
method in line with which all arrangements fall, so
that expenditure is easily and exactly adjusted to
supply, and I have the inestimable advantage of know-
ing the length of time which each of our possessions
will last us and the assurance that there can be no waste.
284 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Active mind and active body were never more happily
blended. It is a restless activity admitting no idle
moments and ever budding into new forms.
1 So we see the balloon ascending under his guidance
and anon he is away over the floe tracking the silk
thread which held it. Such a task completed, he is
away to exercise his pony, and later out again with the
dogs, the last typically self-suggested, because for the
moment there is no one else to care for these animals.
. . . He is for the open air, seemingly incapable of
realising any discomfort from it, and yet "his hours
within doors spent with equal profit. For he is intent
on tracking the problems of sledging food and clothes
to their innermost bearings and is becoming an author-
ity on past records. This will be no small help to me
and one which others never could have given.
' Adjacent to the physicists' corner of the hut At-
kinson is quietly pursuing the subject of parasites.
Already he is in a new world. The laying out of the
fish trap was his action and the catches are his field of
labour. . . . His bench with its array of microscopes,
etc., is next the dark room in which Ponting spends
the greater part of his life. I would describe him as
sustained by artistic enthusiasm. . . .
' Cherry-Garrard is another of the open-air, self-
effacing, quiet workers ; his whole heart is in the life,
with profound eagerness to help everyone. One has
caught glimpses of him in tight places; sound all
through and pretty hard also. . . .
* Gates' whole heart is in the ponies. He is really
A HAPPY FAMILY 285
devoted to their care, and I believe will produce them
in the best possible form for the sledging season.
Opening out the stores, installing a blubber stove, etc.,
has kept him busy, whilst his satellite, Anton, is ever
at work in the stables an excellent little man.
4 P.O. Evans and Crean are repairing sleeping-bags,
covering felt boots, and generally working on sledging
kit. In fact there is no one idle, and no one who has
the least prospect of idleness.
On May 8 as one of the series of lectures Scott
gave an outline of his plans for next season, and
hinted that in his opinion the problem of reaching the
Pole could best be solved by relying on the ponies
and man haulage. With this opinion there was gen-
eral agreement, for as regards glacier and summit
work everyone seemed to distrust the dogs. At the end
of the lecture he asked that the problem should be
thought over and freely discussed, and that any sug-
gestions should be brought to his notice. * It's going
to be a tough job; that is better realised the more one
dives into it.'
At last, on May 13, Atkinson brought news that
the dogs were returning, and soon afterwards Meares
and his team arrived, and reported that the ponies
were not far behind. For more than three weeks the
weather at Hut Point had been exceptionally calm and
fine, and with joy Scott saw that all of the dogs were
looking remarkably well, and that the two ponies also
seemed to have improved. ' It is a great comfort
to have the men and dogs back, and a greater to
286 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
contemplate all the ten ponies comfortably stabled
for the winter. Everything seems to depend on these
animals.'
With their various occupations, lectures in the even-
ing, and games of football when it was not unusual
for the goal-keepers to get their toes frost-bitten
in the afternoons, the winter passed steadily on its
way; the only stroke of misfortune being that one
of the dogs died suddenly and that a post-mortem did
not reveal any sufficient cause of death. This was the
third animal that had died without apparent reason at
winter-quarters, and Scott became more than ever con-
vinced that to place any confidence in the dog teams
would be a mistake.
On Monday, May 22, Scott, Wilson, Bowers, At-
kinson, P.O. Evans and Clissold went off to Cape
Royds with a go-cart which consisted of a frame-
work of steel tubing supported on four bicycle wheels
and sleeping-bags, a cooker and a small quantity of
provisions. The night was spent in Shackleton's hut,
where a good quantity of provisions was found; but
the most useful articles that the party discovered were
five hymn-books, for hitherto the Sunday services had
not been fully choral because seven hymn-books were all
that could be mustered.
June 6 was Scott's birthday, a fact which his small
company did not forget. At lunch an immense
birthday cake appeared, the top of which had been
decorated by Clissold with various devices in chocolate
and crystallised fruit, a flag and photographs of Scott
A HAPPY FAMILY 287
A special dinner followed, and to this sumptuous
meal they sat down with their sledge banners hung
around them. 'After this luxurious meal everyone
was very festive and amiably argumentative. As I
write there is a group in the dark room discussing
political progress with large discussions, another at
one corner of the dinner table airing its views on the
origin of matter and the probability of its ultimate
discovery, and yet another debating military problems.
. . . Perhaps these arguments are practically unprofit-
able, but they give a great deal of pleasure to the
participants. . . . They are boys, all of them, but
such excellent good-natured ones; there has been no
sign of sharpness or anger, no jarring note, in all these
wordy contests; all end with a laugh. Nelson has
offered Taylor a pair of socks to teach him some geol-
ogy ! This lulls me to sleep ! *
On Monday evening, June 12, E. Evans gave a
lecture on surveying, and Scott took the opportunity
to note a few points to which he wanted especial
attention to be directed. The essential points were:
1. Every officer who takes part in the Southern
journey ought to have in his memory the approximate
variation of the compass at various stages of the jour-
ney and to know how to apply it to obtain a true course
from the compass. . . .
2. He ought to know what the true course is to reach
one depot from another.
3. He should be able to take an observation with the
theodolite.
288 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
4. He should be able to work out a meridian altitude
observation.
5. He could advantageously add to his knowledge
the ability to work out a longitude observation or an
ex-meridian altitude.
6. He should know how to read the sledgemeter.
7. He should note and remember the error of the
watch he carries and the rate which is ascertained for
it from time to time.
8. He should assist the surveyor by noting the co-
incidences of objects, the opening out of valleys, the
observation of new peaks, &c.
That these hints upon Polar surveying did not fall
upon deaf ears is proved by a letter Scott wrote home
some four months later. In it he says ' " Cherry "
has just come to me with a very anxious face to say
that I must not count on his navigating powers. For
the moment I didn't know what he was driving at,
but then I remembered that some months ago I said
that it would be a good thing for all the officers going
South to have some knowledge of navigation so
that in emergency they would know how to steer a
sledge home. It appears that " Cherry " thereupon
commenced a serious and arduous course of abstruse
navigational problems which he found exceedingly
tough and now despaired mastering. Of course there
is not one chance in a hundred that he will ever have
to consider navigation on our journey and in that one
chance the problem must be of the simplest nature,
but it makes it much easier for me to have men who
A HAPPY FAMILY 289
take the details of one's work so seriously and
who strive so simply and honestly to make it suc-
cessful/
In Wilson's diary there is also this significant entry :
* Working at latitude sights mathematics which I hate
till bedtime. It will be wiser to know a little naviga-
tion on the Southern sledge journey/
Some time before Scott's suggestions stimulated
his companions to master subjects which they found
rather difficult and irksome, a regular daily routine had
begun. About 7 A.M. Clissold began to prepare break-
fast, and half an hour later Hooper started to sweep
the floor and lay the table. Between 8 and 8.30 the
men were out and about doing odd jobs, Anton going
off to feed the ponies, Demetri to see to the dogs. Re-
peatedly Hooper burst upon the slumberers with an-
nouncements of the time, and presently Wilson and
Bowers met in a state of nature beside a washing
basin filled with snow and proceeded to rub glistening
limbs with this chilly substance. A little later others
with less hardiness could be seen making the most of a
meagre allowance of water. A few laggards invariably
ran the nine o'clock rule very close, and a little pressure
had to be applied so that they should not delay the
day's work.
By 9.20 breakfast was finished, and in ten minutes
the table was cleared. Then for four hours the men
were steadily employed on a programme of prepara-
tion for sledging. About 1.30 a cheerful half -hour was
spent over the mid-day meal, and afterwards, if the
290 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
weather permitted, the ponies were exercised, and
those who were not employed in this way generally
exercised themselves in some way or other. After this
the officers went steadily on with their special work
until 6*30, when dinner was served and finished within
the hour. Then came reading, writing, games, and
usually the gramophone, but three nights of the week
were given up to lectures. At n P.M. the acetylene
lights were put out, and those who wished to stay
up had to depend on candle-light. The majority of
candles, however, were extinguished by midnight, and
the night watchman alone remained awake to keep his
vigil by the light of an oil lamp.
Extra bathing took place either on Saturday after-
noon or Sunday morning ; chins were shaven, and pos-
sibly clean clothes put on. ' Such signs, with the regu-
lar service on Sunday, mark the passage of the weeks.
It is not a very active life, perhaps, but certainly not
an idle one. Few of us sleep more than eight hours
of the twenty- four/
On June 19, Day gave a lecture on his motor sledge
and was very hopeful of success, but Scott again ex-
pressed his doubts and fears. * I fear he is rather
more sanguine in temperament than his sledge is reli-
able in action. I wish I could have more confidence
in his preparations, as he is certainly a delightful
companion/ Three days later Midwinter was cele-
brated with great festivities, and after lunch the
Editor handed over the first number of the S. P. T. to
Scott. Everyone at once gathered at the top of
A HAPPY FAMILY 291
the table; 'It was like a lot of schoolgirls round a
teacher ' is the editor's description of the scene, and
Scott read aloud most of the contents. An article
called ' Valhalla/ written by Taylor, some verses
called 'The Sleeping Bag/ and Wilson's illustra-
tions to t Antarctic Archives * were the popular fa-
vourites; indeed the editor attributed the success of
the paper mainly to Wilson, though Day's delightful
cover of carved venesta wood and sealskin was also
4 a great help/ As all the contributions were anony-
mous great fun was provided by attempts to guess
the various authors, and some of the denials made
by the contributors were perhaps more modest than
strictly truthful.
These festive proceedings, however, were almost
solemn when compared with the celebrations of the
evening. In preparation for dinner the ' Union Jacks '
and sledge flags were hung about the large table, and
at seven o'clock everyone sat down to a really good
dinner.
Scott spoke first, and drew attention to the nature
of the celebration as a half-way mark not only in
the winter but in the plans of the expedition. Fearing
in his heart of hearts that some of the company did
not realise how rapidly the weeks were passing, and
that in consequence work which ought to have been
in full swing had barely been begun, he went on to
say that it was time they knew how they stood in
every respect, and especially thanked the officer in
charge of the stores and those who looked after the
292 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
animals, for knowing the exact position as regards
provision and transport. Then he said that in respect
to the future chance must play a great part, but that
experience showed him that no more fitting men could
have been chosen to support him on the journey to the
South than those who were to start in that direction
in the following spring. Finally he thanked all of his
companions for having put their shoulders to the wheel
and given him so much confidence.
Thereupon they drank to the Success of the Ex-
pedition, and afterwards everyone was called to speak
in turn.
e Needless to say, all were entirely modest and brief;
unexpectedly, all had exceedingly kind things to say
of me in fact I was obliged to request the omissions
of compliments at an early stage. Nevertheless
it was gratifying to have a really genuine recognition
of my attitude towards the scientific workers of the
expedition, and I felt very warmly towards all these
kind, good fellows for expressing it. If good will
and fellowship count towards success, very surely shall
we deserve to succeed. It was matter for comment,
much applauded, that there had not been a single
disagreement between any two members of our party
from the beginning. By the end of dinner a very
cheerful spirit prevailed/
The table having been cleared and upended and the
chairs arranged in rows, Ponting displayed a series of
slides from his own local negatives, and then, after the
healths of Campbell's party and of those on board
A HAPPY FAMILY 293
the Terra Nova had been drunk, a set of lancers was
formed. In the midst of this scene of revelry Bowers
suddenly appeared, followed by satellites bearing an
enormous Christmas tree, the branches of which bore
flaming; candles, gaudy crackers, and little presents for
everyone; the distribution of which caused infinite
amusement. Thus the high festival of Midwinter was
celebrated in the most convivial way, but that it was
so reminiscent of a Christmas spent in England was
partly, at any rate, due to those kind people who had
anticipated the celebration by providing presents and
other tokens of their interest in the expedition.
* Few/ Scott says, * could take great exception to
so rare an outburst in a long run of quiet days. After
all we celebrated the birth of a season, which for weal
or woe must be numbered amongst the greatest in our
lives/
CHAPTER V
WINTER
Come what may
Time and the hour runs through the darkest day.
SHAKESPEARE.
DURING the latter part of June the Cape Crozier Party
were busy in making preparations for their departure.
The object of their journey to the Emperor penguin
rookery in the cold and darkness of an Antarctic win-
ter was to secure eggs at such a stage as could furnish
a series of early embryos, by means of which alone the
particular points of interest in the development of the
bird could be worked out. As the Emperor is pecul-
iar in nesting at the coldest season of the year, this
journey entailed the risk of sledge travelling in mid-
winter, and the travellers had also to traverse about a
hundred miles of the Barrier surface, and to cross a
chaos of crevasses which had previously taken a party
as much as two hours to cross by daylight.
Such was the enterprise for which Wilson, Bowers
and Cherry-Garrard were with the help of others
making preparations, and apart from the extraordi-
294
WINTER 295
narily adventurous side of this journey, it was most
interesting because the travellers were to make several
experiments. Each man was to go on a different
food scale, eiderdown sleeping-bags were to be carried
inside the reindeer ones, and a new kind of crampon
and a double tent were to be tried. ' I came across a
hint as to the value of a double tent in Sverdrup's book,
" New Land," ' Scott wrote on June 20, * and P.O.
Evans has made a lining for one of the tents, it is
secured on the inner side of the poles and provides
an air space inside the tent. I think it is going to be
a great success/
By the 26th preparations for the party to start from
Cape Evans were completed, their heavy load when
they set out on the following morning being distributed
\>n two g- foot sledges. ' This winter travel is a new
and bold venture, but the right men have gone to at-
tempt it. All good luck go with them ! '
While the winter travellers were pursuing their
strenuous way work went steadily on at Cape Evans,
with no exciting nor alarming incident until July 4.
On the morning of that day the wind blew furiously,
but it moderated a little in the afternoon when Atkin-
son and Gran, without Scott's knowledge, decided to
start over the floe for the North and South Bay ther-
mometers respectively. This happened at 5.30 P.M.,
and Gran had returned by 6.45, but not until later did
Scott hear that he had only gone two or three hundred
yards from the land, and that it had taken him nearly
an hour to find his way back.
296 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Atkinson's continued absence passed unnoticed un-
til dinner was nearly finished, but Scott did not feel
seriously alarmed until the wind sprang up again
and still the wanderer did not return. At 9.30, P.O.
Evans, Crean and Keohane, who had been out looking
for him, returned without any news, and the possibility
of a serious accident had to be faced. Organised
search parties were at once despatched, Scott and
Clissold alone remaining in the hut. And as the
minutes slipped slowly by Scott's fears naturally
increased, as Atkinson had started for a point not
much more than a mile off and had been away more
than five hours. From that fact only one conclusion
could be drawn, and there was but small comfort to
be got from the knowledge that every spot which was
likely to be the scene of an accident would be thoroughly
searched.
Thus ii o'clock came, then 11.30 with its six hours
of absence; and the strain of waiting became almost
unbearable. But a quarter of an hour later Scott
heard voices from the Cape, and presently, to his
extreme relief, Meares and Debenham appeared with
Atkinson, who was badly frost-bitten in the hand, and,
as was to be expected after such an adventure, very
confused.
At 2 A.M. Scott wrote in his, diary, c The search
parties have returned and all is well again, out we must
have no more of these very unnecessary escapades.
Yet it is impossible not to realise that this bit of experi-
ence has done more than all the talking I could have
WINTER 297
ever accomplished to bring home to our people the
dangers of a blizzard.'
On investigation it was obvious that Atkinson
had been in great danger. First of all he had hit In-
accessible Island, and not until he arrived in its lee
did he discover that his hand was frost-bitten. Having
waited there for some time he groped his way to the
western end, and then wandering away in a swirl of
drift to clear some irregularities at the ice- foot, he
completely lost the island when he could only have
been a few yards from it. In this predicament he
clung to the old idea of walking up wind, and it must
be considered wholly providential that on this course
he next struck Tent Island. Round this island he
walked under the impression that it was Inaccessible
Island, and at last dug himself a shelter on its lee side.
When the moon appeared he judged its bearing well,
and as he travelled homeward was vastly surprised to
see the real Inaccessible Island appear on his left.
' There can be no doubt that in a blizzard a man has
not only to safeguard the circulation in his limbs, but
must struggle with a sluggishness of brain and an
absence of reasoning power which is far more likely to
undo him/
About mid-day on Friday, July 7, the worst gale
that Scott had ever known in Antarctic regions began,
and went on for a week. The force of the wind, al-
though exceptional, had been equalled earlier in the
year, but the extraordinary feature of this gale was
the long continuance of a very cold temperature. On
298 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Friday night the thermometer registered 39, and
throughout Saturday and the greater part of Sunday
it did not rise above 35. It was Scott's turn for
duty on Saturday night, and whenever he had to go
out of doors the impossibility of enduring such condi-
tions for any length of time was impressed forcibly
upon him. The fine snow beat in behind his wind
guard, the gusts took away his breath, and ten paces
against the wind were enough to cause real danger of a
frost-bitten face. To clear the anemometer vane he had
to go to the other end of the hut and climb a ladder;
and twice while engaged in this task he had literally to
lean against the wind with head bent and face averted,
and so stagger crab-like on his course.
By Tuesday the temperature had risen to +5 or
+ 7, but the gale still continued and the air was thick
with snow. The knowledge, however, that the dogs
were comfortable was a great consolation to Scott,
and he also found both amusement and pleasure in
observing the customs of the people in charge of the
stores. The policy of every storekeeper was to have
something up his sleeve for a rainy day, and an ex-
cellent policy Scott thought it. * Tools, metal material
leather, straps, and dozens of items are administered
with the same spirit of jealous guardianship by Day,
Lashly, Gates and Meares, while our main storekeeper
Bowers even affects to bemoan imaginary shortages.
Such parsimony is the best guarantee that we are pre-
pared to face any serious call/
For an hour on Wednesday afternoon the wind
WINTER 299
moderated, atid the ponies were able to get a short
walk over the floe, but this was only a temporary lull,
for the gale was soon blowing as furiously as ever.
And the following night brought not only a continu-
ance of the bad weather but also bad news. At mid-
day one of the best ponies, Bones, suddenly went off his
feed, and in spite of Dates' and Anton's most careful
attention he soon became critically ill. Gates gave him
an opium pill and later on a second, and sacks were
heated and placed on the suffering animal, but hour
after hour passed without any improvement. As the
evening wore on Scott again and again visited the
stable, only to hear the same tale from Gates and
Crean, 1 who never left their patient. ' Towards mid-
night/ Scott says, 1 1 felt very downcast. It is so cer-
tain that we cannot afford to lose a single pony the
margin of safety has already been overstepped, we are
reduced to face the circumstance that we must keep all
the animals alive or greatly risk failure/
Shortly after midnight, however, there were signs
of an improvement, and two or three hours afterwards
the pony was out of danger and proceeded to make a
rapid and complete recovery. So far, since the return
to Cape Evans, the ponies had given practically no
cause for anxiety, and in consequence Scott's hopes
that all would continue to be well with them had
steadily grown; but this shock shattered his sense of
security, and although various alterations were made
in the arrangements of the stables and extra pre-
1 Bones was the pony which had been allotted to Crean.
300 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
cautions were taken as regards food, he was never
again without alarms for the safety of the precious
ponies.
Another raging blizzard swept over Cape Evans on
July 22 and 23, but the spirit of good comradeship
still survived in spite of the atrocious weather and the
rather monotonous life. ( There is no longer room for
doubt that we shall come to our work with a unity
of purpose and a disposition for mutual support which
have never been equalled in these paths of activity.
Such a spirit should tide us over all minor diffi-
culties/
By the end of the month Scott was beginning to
wonder why the Crozier Party did not return, but on
Tuesday, August i, they came back looking terribly
weather-worn and * after enduring for five weeks the
hardest conditions on record/ Their faces were
scarred and wrinkled, their eyes dull, and their hands
whitened and creased with the constant exposure to
damp and cold. Quite obviously the main part of
their afflictions arose from sheer lack of sleep, and after
a night's rest they were very different people both in
mind and body.
Writing on August 2, Scott says, * Wilson is very
thin, but this morning very much his keen, wiry
self Bowers is quite himself to-day. Cherry-Garrard
is slightly puffy in the face and still looks worn. It
is evident that he has suffered most severely but
Wilson tells me that his spirit never wavered for a
moment. Bowers has come through best, all things
WINTER 301
considered, and I believe that he is the hardest traveller
that ever undertook a Polar journey, as well as one
of the most undaunted; more by hint than direct state-
ment I gather his value to the party, his untiring energy
and the astonishing physique which enables him to con-
tinue to work under conditions which are absolutely
paralysing to others. Never was such a sturdy, active,
undef eatable little man/
Gradually Scott gathered an account of this won-
derful journey from the three travellers who had made
it. For more than a week the thermometer fell below
60, and on one night the minimum showed 71,
and on the next 77. Although in this fearful cold
the air was comparatively still, occasional little puffs
of wind eddied across the snow plain with blighting
effect. ' No civilised being has ever encountered such
conditions before with only a tent of thin canvas to
rely on for shelter/ Records show that Amundsen
when journeying to the N. magnetic pole met tempera-
tures of a similar degree, but he was with Esquimaux
who built him an igloo shelter nightly, he had also a
good measure of daylight, and finally he turned home-
ward and regained his ship after five days' absence,
while this party went outward and were absent for
five weeks.
Nearly a fortnight was spent in crossing the coldest
region, and then rounding C. Mackay they entered
the wind-swept area. Blizzard followed blizzard,
but in a light that was little better than complete
darkness they staggered on. Sometimes they found
302 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
themselves high on the slopes of Terror on the left of
the track, sometimes diving on the right amid crevasses
and confused ice disturbance. Having reached the
foothills near Cape Crozier they ascended 800 feet,
packed their belongings over a moraine ridge, and be-
gan to build a hut Three days were spent in building
the stone walls and completing the roof with the canvas
brought for the purpose, and then at last they could
attend to the main object of their journey.
The scant twilight at mid-day was so short that a
start had to be made in the dark, and consequently they
ran the risk of missing their way in returning without
light. At their first attempt they failed to reach the
penguin rookery, but undismayed they started again
on the following day, and wound their way through
frightful ice disturbances under the high basalt cliffs.
In places the rock overhung, and at one spot they had
to creep through a small channel hollowed in the ice.
At last the sea-ice was reached, but by that time the
light was so far spent that everything had to be rushed.
Instead of the 2,000 or 3,000 nesting birds that had
been, seen at this rookery in Discovery days, they could
only count about a hundred. As a reason for this a
suggestion was made that possibly the date was too
early, and that if the birds had not permanently
deserted the rookery only the first arrivals had been
seen.
With no delay they killed and skinned three
penguins to get blubber for their stove, and with six
eggs, only three of which were saved, made a hasty
WINTER 303
dash for their camp, which by good luck they re-
gained.
On that same night a blizzard began, and from
moment to moment increased in fury. Very soon they
found that the place where they had, with the hope of
shelter, built their hut, was unfortunately chosen, for
the wind instead of striking them directly was de-
flected on to them in furious, whirling gusts. Heavy
blocks of snow and rock placed on the roof were hurled
away and the canvas ballooned up, its disappearance
being merely a question of time.
Close to the hut they had erected their tent and
had left several valuable articles inside it ; the tent had
been well spread and amply secured with snow and
boulders, but one terrific gust tore it up and whirled it
away. Inside the hut they waited for the roof to van-
ish, and wondered, while they vainly tried to make it
secure, what they could do if it went. After fourteen
hours it disappeared, as they were trying to pin down
one corner. Thereupon the smother of snow swept
over them, and all they could do was to dive immedi-
ately for their sleeping-bags. Once Bowers put out his
head and said, * We're all right/ in as ordinary tones
as he could manage, whereupon Wilson and Cherry-
Garrard replied, ' Yes, we're all right ' ; then all of
them were silent for a night and half a day, while
the wind howled and howled, and the snow entered
every chink and crevice of their sleeping-bags.
' This gale/ Scott says, ' was the same (July 23)
in which we registered our maximum wind force, and
304 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
it seems probable that it fell on Cape Crozier even more
violently than on us/
The wind fell at noon on the following day, and
the wretched travellers then crept from their icy nests,
spread the floorcloth over their heads, and lit their
primus. For the first time in forty-eight hours they
tasted food, and having eaten their meal under these
extraordinary conditions they began to talk of plans
to build shelters on the homeward route. Every
night, they decided, they must dig a large pit
and cover it as best they could with their floor-
cloth.
Fortune, however, was now to befriend them, as
about half a mile from the hut Bowers discovered their
tent practically uninjured. But on the following day
when they started homeward another blizzard fell upon
them, and kept them prisoners for two more days.
By this time the miserable condition of their effects
was beyond description. The sleeping-bags could not
be rolled up, in fact they were so thoroughly frozen
that attempts to bend them actually broke the skins.
All socks, finnesko, and mits had long been coated with
ice, and when placed in breast-pockets or inside vests
at night they did not even show signs of thawing.
Indeed it is scarcely possible to realise the horrible
discomforts of these three forlorn travellers, as they
plodded back across the Barrier in a temperature con-
stantly below 60.
* Wilson/ Scott wrote, ' is disappointed at seeing
so little of the penguins, but to me and to everyone
WINTER 305
who has remained here the result of this effort is the
appeal it makes to our imagination as one of the most
gallant stories of Polar history. That men should
wander forth in the depth of a Polar night to face the
most dismal cold and the fiercest gales in darkness is
something new ; that they should have persisted in this
effort in spite of every adversity for five full weeks is
heroic. It makes a tale for our generation which I
hope may not be lost in the telling.
' Moreover the material results are by no means
despicable. We shall know now when that extraor-
dinary bird the Emperor penguin lays its eggs, and
under what conditions; but even if our information
remains meagre concerning its embryology, our party
has shown the nature of the conditions which exist on
the Great Barrier in winter. Hitherto we have only
imagined their severity; now we have proof, and a
positive light is thrown on the local climatology of our
Strait/
Of the indomitable spirit shown by his companions
on this journey Cherry-Garrard gives wonderful and
convincing proof in his diary. Bowers, with his capac-
ity for sleeping under the most distressing conditions,
was ' absolutely magnificent '; and the story of how he
arranged a line by which he fastened the cap of the tent
to himself, so that if it went away a second time it
should not be unaccompanied, is only one of the many
tales of his resource and determination.
In addition to the eggs that the party had brought
back and the knowledge of the winter conditions on
306 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the Barrier that they had gained, their journey settled
several points in connection with future sledging work.
They had travelled on a very simple food ration in
different and extreme proportions, for the only pro-
visions they took were pemmican, butter, biscuit
and tea. After a short experience they found that
Wilson, who had arranged for the greatest quantity of
fat, had too much of it, while Cherry-Garrard, who
had declared for biscuit, had more than he could eat.
Then a middle course was struck which gave a pro-
portion agreeable to all of them, and which at the
same time suited the total quantities of their various
articles of food. The only change that was suggested
was the addition of cocoa for the evening meal, because
the travellers, thinking that tea robbed them of their
slender chance of sleep, had contented themselves with
hot water. ' In this way/ Scott decided, ' we have
arrived at a simple and suitable ration for the inland
plateau. 3
Of the sleeping-bags there was little to be said, for
although the eiderdown bag might be useful for a short
spring trip, it became iced up too quickly to be much
good on a long journey. Bowers never used his eider-
down bag, 1 and in some miraculous manner he managed
more than once to turn his reindeer bag. The weights
of the sleeping-bags before and after the journey give
some idea of the ice collected.
1 He insisted upon giving it to Cherry-Gar rard. * It was/ the
latter says, 'wonderfully self-sacrificing of him, more than I
can write. I felt a brute to take it, but I was getting useless
unless I got some sleep, which ray big bag would not allow/
WINTER 307
Starting Final
Weight Weight
Wilson, reindeer and eiderdown . 17 Ibs. 40 Ibs.
Bowers, reindeer only . . 17 " 33 "
C.-Garrard, reindeer and eiderdown 18 " 45 "
The double tent was considered a great success,
and the new crampons were much praised except by
Bowers, whose fondness for the older form was not
to be shaken. ' We have discovered/ Scott stated in
summing up the results of the journey, * a hundred
details of clothes, rnits, and footwear: there seems no
solution to the difficulties which attach to these articles
in extreme cold ; all Wilson can say, speaking broadly,
is " The gear is excellent, excellent." One continues
to wonder as to the possibilities of fur clothing as made
by the Esquimaux, with a sneaking feeling that it may
outclass our more civilised garb. For us this can only
be a matter of speculation, as it would have been quite
impossible to have obtained such articles. With the
exception of this radically different alternative, I feel
sure we are as near perfection as experience can direct
At any rate we can now hold that our system of cloth-
ing has come through a severer test than any other, fur
included/
With the return of the Cape Crozier Party lectures
were resumed, and apart from one or two gales the
weather was so good and the returning light so stimu-
lating both to man and beast, that the spirits of the
former rose apace while those of the latter became
almost riotous when exercised. On August 10, Scott
308 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
definitely told off the ponies for the Southern journey,
and the new masters were to take charge on September
i, so that they could exercise their respective animals
and get to know them as well as possible. The new
arrangement was :
Bowers . Victor
Wilson . . . . Nobby
Atkinson . . . Jehu
Wright .... Chinaman
Cherry-Garrard . . Michael
Evans (P.O.) . . . Snatcher
Crean .... Bones
Keohane . . . Jimmy Pigg
Oates .... Christopher
Scott and Oates . . Snippets.
On the same day Oates gave his second excellent
lecture on * Horse Management/ and afterwards the
problem of snow-shoes was seriously discussed. Be-
sides the problem of the form of the shoes was also
the question of the means of attachment, and as to
both points all sorts of suggestions were made. At that
time Scott's opinion was that the pony snow-shoes they
had, which were made on the grating or racquet prin-
ciple, would probably be the best, the only alternative
seeming to be to perfect the principle of the lawn mow-
ing shoe. ' Perhaps/ he adds, ' we shall come to both
kinds : the first for the quiet animals and the last for
the more excitable. I ami confident the matter is of first
importance/
WINTER 309
Ten days later Scott had to admit that the ponies
were becoming a handful, and for the time being they
would have been quite unmanageable if they had been
given any oats. As it was, Christopher, Snippets and
Victor were suffering from such high spirits that all
three of them bolted on the 2ist.
A prolonged gale arrived just as the return of the
sun was due, and for three days everyone was more
or less shut up in the hut. Although the temperature
was not especially low anyone who went outside for
even the briefest moment had to dress in wind clothes,
because exposed woollen or cloth materials became so
instantaneously covered with powdery crystals, that
when they were brought back into the warmth they
were soon wringing wet. When, however, there
was no drift it was quicker and easier to slip on an
overcoat, and for his own garment of this description
Scott admits a sentimental attachment. ' I must
confess/ he says, ' an affection for my veteran uniform
overcoat, inspired by its persistent utility. I find that
it is twenty-three years of age and can testify to its
strenuous existence. It has been spared neither rain,
wind, nor salt sea spray, tropic heat nor Arctic cold;
it has outlived many sets of buttons, from their glit-
tering gilded youth to green old age, and it supports
its four-stripe shoulder straps as gaily as the single
lace ring of the early days which proclaimed it the
possession of a humble sub-lieutenant. Withal it is
still a very long way from the fate of the " one-horse
shay." '
310 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Not until August 26 did the sun appear, and every-
one was at once out and about and in the most cheerful
frame of mind. The shouts and songs of men could
be heard for miles, and the outlook on life of every
member of the expedition seemed suddenly to have
changed. For if there is little that is new to be said
about the return of the sun in Polar regions, it must
always be a very real and important event to those
who have lived without it for so many months, and who
have almost forgotten the sensation of standing in
brilliant sunshine.
CHAPTER VI
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS
So far as I can venture to offer an opinion on such a matter,
the purpose of our being in existence, the highest object that
human beings can set before themselves, is not the pursuit of
any such chimera as the annihilating of the unknown; but it Is
simply the unwearied endeavour to remove its boundaries a little
further from our little sphere of action. HUXLEY.
WITH the return of the sun preparations for the sum-
mer campaign continued more zealously and indus-
triously than ever, and what seemed like a real start
was made when Meares and Demetri went off to Hut
Point on September I with the dog teams. For such an
early departure there was no real reason unless Meares
hoped to train the dogs better when he had got them to
himself ; but he chose to start, and Scott, after setting
out the work he had to do, left him to come and go be-
tween the two huts as he pleased.
Meanwhile with Bowers' able assistance Scott set to
work at sledging figures, and although he felt as the
scheme developed that their organisation would not
be found wanting, he was also a little troubled by the
immense amount of detail, and by the fact that every
arrangement had to be more than usually elastic, so
that both the complete success and the utter failure of
311
3 i2 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the motors could be taken fully into account. ( I think/
he says, ' that our plan will carry us through without
the motors (though in that case nothing else must fail),
and will take full advantage of such help as the motors
may give/
The spring travelling could not be extensive, because
of necessity the majority of the company had to stay at
home and exercise the ponies, which was not likely to
be a light task when the food of these enterprising
animals was increased. E. Evans, Gran and Forde,
however, were to go and re-mark Corner Camp, and
then Meares with his dogs was to carry as much fodder
there as possible, while Bowers, Simpson, P.O. Evans
and Scott were to ' stretch their legs ' across the West-
ern Mountains.
During the whole of the week ending on September
10, Scott was occupied with making detailed plans for
the Southern journey, every figure being checked by
Bowers, l who has been an enormous help/ And later
on, in speaking of the transport department, Scott says,
' In spite of all the care I have taken to make the details
of my plan clear by lucid explanation, I find that
Bowers is the only man on whom I can thoroughly
rely to carry out the work without mistakes/ The
result of this week's work and study was that Scott
came to the conclusion that there would be no difficulty
in getting to the Glacier if the motors were successful,
and that even if the motors failed they still ought to
get there with any ordinary degree of good fortune.
To work three units of four men from that point on-
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS 313
ward would, he admitted, take a large amount of pro-
visions, but with the proper division he thought that
they ought to attain their object. ' I have tried/ he
said, ' to take every reasonable possibility of misfortune
into consideration ; . . . I fear to be too sanguine, yet
taking everything into consideration I feel that our
chances ought to be good. The animals are in splen-
did form. Day by day the ponies get fitter as their
exercise increases. . . . But we cannot spare any
of the ten, and so there must always be anxiety of
the disablement of one or more before their work is
done/
Apart from the great help he would obtain if the
motors were successful, Scott was very eager that they
should be of some use so that all the time, money and
thought which had been given to their construction
should not be entirely wasted. But whatever the out-
come of these motors, his belief in the possibility
of motor traction for Polar work remained, though
while it was in an untried and evolutionary state he
was too cautious and wise a leader to place any definite
reliance upon it.
If, however, Scott was more than a little doubtful
about the motors, he was absolutely confident about
the men who were chosen for the Southern advance.
' All are now experienced sledge travellers, knit to-
gether with a bond of friendship that has never been
equalled tinder such circumstances. Thanks to these
people, and more especially to Bowers and Petty Officer
Evans, there is not a single detail of our equipment
314 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
which is not arranged with the utmost care and in
accordance with the tests of experience.'
On Saturday, September 9, E. R. Evans, Forde and
Gran left for Corner Camp, and then for a few days
Scott was busy finishing up the Southern plans, getting
Instruction in photography, and preparing for his jour-
ney to the west On the Southern trip he had deter-
mined to make a better show of photographic work
than had yet been accomplished, and with Ponting as
eager to help others as he was to produce good work
himself an invaluable instructor was at hand.
With the main objects of having another look at the
Ferrar Glacier and of measuring the stakes put out by
Wright in the previous year, of bringing their sledge
impressions up to date, and of practising with their
cameras, Scott and his party started off to the west on
the 1 5th, without having decided precisely where they
were going or how long they would stay away.
Two and a half days were spent in reaching Butter
Point, and then they proceeded up the Ferrar Glacier
and reached the Cathedral Rocks on the igth. There
they found the stakes placed by Wright across the
glacier, and spent the remainder of that day and the
whole of the next in plotting accurately their position.
* Very cold wind down glacier increasing. In spite
of this Bowers wrestled with theodolite. He is really
wonderful. I have never seen anyone who could go on
so long with bare fingers. My own fingers went every
few moments/
After plotting out the figures it turned out that th?
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE E,VANS 315
movement varied from 24 to 32 feet, an extremely
important observation, and the first made on the
movements of the coastal glaciers. Though a greater
movement than Scott expected to find, it was small
enough to show that the idea of comparative stagna-
tion was correct. On the next day they came down
the Glacier, and then went slowly up the coast, dipping
into New Harbour, where they climbed the moraine,
took angles and collected rock specimens. At Cape
Bernacchi a quantity of pure quartz was found, and in
it veins of copper ore an interesting discovery, for it
was the first find of minerals suggestive of the possi-
bility of working.
On the next day they sighted a long, low ice wall,
and at a distance mistook it for a long glacier tongue
stretching seaward from the land. But as they ap-
proached it they saw a dark mark, and it suddenly
dawned upon them that the tongue was detached from
the land. Half recognising familiar features they
turned towards it, and as they got close they saw that
it was very like their old Erebus Glacier Tongue. Then
they sighted a flag upon it, and realised that it was the
piece broken off from the Erebus Tongue. Near the
outer end they camped, and climbing on to it soon
found the depot of fodder left by Campbell, and the
line of stakes planted to guide the ponies in the autumn.
So there, firmly anchored, was the piece broken from
the Glacier Tongue in the previous March, a huge
tract about two miles long which had turned through
half a circle, so that the old western end was towards
3i6 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the east. ' Considering the many cracks in the ice mass
it is most astonishing that it should have remained
intact throughout its sea voyage. At one time it was
suggested that the hut should be placed on this Tongue.
What an adventurous voyage the occupants would
have had! The Tongue which was 5 miles south of
Cape Evans is now 40 miles W.N.W. of it/
From the Glacier Tongue they still pushed north,
and on the 24th, just before the fog descended upon
them, they got a view along the stretch of coast to
the north. So far the journey had been more pleasant
than Scott had anticipated, but two days after they
had turned back a heavy blizzard descended upon
them, and although an attempt was made to continue
marching, they were soon compelled to camp. After
being held up completely on the 27th they started
again on the following day in a very frost-biting wind.
From time to time they were obliged to halt so that
their frozen features could be brought round, Simpson
suffering more than the rest of the party; and with
drift coming on again they were weather-bound in
their tent during the early part of the afternoon.
At 3 P.M., however, the drift ceased, and they started
off once more in a wind as biting as ever. Then Scott
saw an ominous yellow fuzzy appearance on the
southern ridges of Erebus, and knew that another
snowstorm was approaching; but hoping that this
storm would miss them, he kept on until Inaccessible
Island was suddenly blotted out. Thereupon a rush
was made for a camp site, but the blizzard swept
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS 317
upon them, and In the driving snow they found it
utterly impossible to set up their inner tent, and could
only just manage to set up the outer one. A few
hours later the weather again cleared, and as they
were more or less snowed up, they decided to push for
Cape Evans in spite of the wind. ' We arrived in at
1.15 A.M., pretty well done. The wind never let up for
an instant; the temperature remained about 16,
and the 21 statute miles which we marched in the
day must be remembered amongst the most strenuous
in my memory. . . . The objects of our little jour-
ney were satisfactorily accomplished, but the greatest
source of pleasure to me is to realise that 1 have such
men as Bowers and P.O. Evans for the Southern
journey. I do not think that harder men or better
sledge travellers ever took the trail Bowers is a little
wonder. I realise all that he must have done for the
C. Crozier Party in their far severer experience/
Late as the hour was when the travellers appeared
at Cape Evans, everyone was soon up and telling
Scott what had happened during his absence. E.
Evans, Gran and Forde had reached Corner Camp
and found that it showed up well, and consequently
all anxiety as to the chance of finding One Ton Camp
was removed. Forde, however, had got his hand so
badly frost-bitten that he was bound to be incapaci-
tated for some time, and this meant that the arrange-
ments that had already been made for a geological
party to go to the west would in all probability have to
be altered.
3i8 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
All of the ponies were reported to be very well,
but Scott's joy at this news vanished on October 3
when Atkinson reported that Jehu was still too weak
to pull a load. Oates also was having great trouble
with Christopher, who did not appreciate being
harnessed and generally bolted at the mere sight of
a sledge. 'He is going/ Scott, in referring to this
most intractable pony, wrote, ' to be a trial, but he is a
good strong pony and should do yeoman service. Day
is increasingly hopeful about the motors. He is an
ingenious person and has been turning up new rollers
out of a baulk of oak supplied by Meares, and with
Simpson's small motor as a lathe* The motors may
save the situation.'
On the 5th Scott made a thorough inspection of
Jehu and became convinced that he was useless.
Chinaman and James Pigg were also no towers of
strength. * But the other seven are in fine form and
must bear the brunt of the work somehow. If we
suffer more loss we shall depend on the motor, and
then! . . . well, one must face the bad as well as the
good/
During the following day, after Christopher had
given his usual exhibition at the start, Wilson, Oates,
Cherry-Garrard and Crean went over to Hut Point
with their ponies; and late on the same afternoon the
Hut Point telephone bell suddenly rang. The line
had been laid by Meares some time before, but hitherto
there had been no communication. Now, however,
Scott heard a voice and found himself able to hold
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS 319
long conversations with Meares and Oates. ' Not a
very wonderful fact, perhaps, but it seems wonderful
in this primitive land to be talking to one's fellow
beings 15 miles away. Oates told me that the ponies
had arrived in fine order, Christopher a little done, but
carrying the heaviest load. If we can keep the tele-
phone going it will be a great boon, especially to Meares
later in the season.'
After service on Sunday morning Scott, continuing
his course of photography under the excellent instruc-
tion of Ponting, went out to the Pressure Ridge, and
thoroughly enjoyed himself. Worries, however, were
in store, for later in the afternoon, by which time Scott
had returned to the hut, a telephone message from
Nelson's igloo brought the news that Clissold had
fallen from a berg and hurt his back. In three min-
utes Bowers had organised a sledge party, and for-
tunately Atkinson was on the spot and able to join
it. Scott himself at once hurried over the land, and
found Ponting very distressed and Clissold practically
insensible.
It appeared that Clissold had been acting as Pont-
ing's ' model/ and that they had been climbing about
the berg to get pictures. Ponting had lent his
crampons and ice-axe to Clissold, but the latter never-
theless missed his footing after one of the c poses/ and
after sliding over a rounded surface of ice for some
twelve feet, had dropped six feet on to a sharp angle
in the wall of the berg. Unquestionably Clissold was
badly hurt, and although neither Wilson nor Atkinson
320 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
thought that anything very serious had happened, there
was no doubt that the accident would prevent him
from taking the place allotted to him In the motor
sledge party. Thus there were two men on the sick
list, and after all the trouble that had been taken
to get things ready for the summer journeys Scott
naturally felt that these misfortunes were more than
a little deplorable. On the other hand, all was going
well with the ponies, though Christopher's dislike
to sledges seemed rather to increase than to lessen.
When once he was in the sledge he had always be-
haved himself until October 13, when he gave a really
great exhibition of perversity. On this occasion a dog
frightened him, and having twisted the rope from
Gates' hands he bolted for all he was worth. When,
however, he had obtained his freedom, he set about
most systematically to get rid of his load. At first he
gave sudden twists and thus dislodged two bales of
hay, but when he caught sight of some other sledges
a better idea at once struck him, and he dashed straight
at them with the evident intention of getting free of
his load at one fell swoop. Two or three times he
ran for Bowers and then he turned his attention to
Keohane, his plan being to charge from a short dis-
tance with teeth bared and heels flying. By this time
his antics had brought a small group to the scene,
and presently Gates, Bowers, Nelson and Atkinson
managed to clamber on to the sledge. Undaunted,
however, by this human burden, he tried to treat it as
he had the bales of hay, and he did manage to
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS 321
dispose of Atkinson with violence ; but the others dug*
their heels into the snow and succeeded at last in
tiring him out. ' I am exceedingly glad/ Scott says,
' there are not other ponies like him. These capers
promise trouble, but I think a little soft snow on the
Barrier may effectually cure them/
On Tuesday, October 17, the motors were to be
taken on to the floe, but the attempt was not successful,
the axle casing (aluminum) splitting soon after the
trial had begun. Once again Scott expressed his con-
viction that the motors would be of little assistance,
though at the same time retaining his opinion that with
more experience they might have been of the greatest
service. * The trouble is that if they fail, no one will
ever believe this.'
The days at Cape Evans were now rapidly drawing
to a close. Plans and preparations occupied the at-
tention of everyone, and Scott's time was almost wholly
occupied in preparing details and in writing. { Words/
he said in a letter dated October, 1912, ' must always
fail me when I talk of Bill Wilson. I believe he
really is the finest character I ever met the closer one
gets to him the more there is to admire. Every
quality is so solid and dependable ; cannot you imagine
how that counts down here? Whatever the matter,
one knows Bill will be sound, shrewdly practical, in-
tensely loyal, and quite unselfish. Add to this a wider
knowledge of persons and things than is at first guess-
able, a quiet vein of humour and really consummate
tact, and you have some idea of his values- I think
322 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
he Is the most popular member of the party, and that
is saying much.
( Bowers is all and more than I ever expected of
him. He is a positive treasure, absolutely trustworthy,
and prodigiously energetic. He is about the hardest
man amongst us, and that is saying a good deal noth-
ing seems to hurt his tough little body, and certainly
no hardship daunts his spirit, I shall have a hundred
little tales to tell you of his indefatigable zeal, his
unselfishness, and his inextinguishable good humour.
He surprises always, for his intelligence is of quite a
high order and his memory for details most excep-
tional. You can imagine him, as he is, an indispensable
assistant to me in every detail concerning the manage-
ment and organisation of our sledging work and a de-
lightful companion on the march.
* One of the greatest successes is Wright. He is
very hard working, very thorough, and absolutely
ready for anything. Like Bowers he has taken to
sledging like a duck to water, and although he hasn't
had such severe testing, I believe he would stand it
pretty nearly as well. Nothing ever seems to worry
him, and I can't imagine he ever complained of any-
thing in his life.
'The Soldier is very popular with all a delight-
fully humorous cheery old pessimist striving with the
ponies night and day and bringing woeful accounts of
their small ailments into the hut.
' Atkinson will go far, I think; he has a positive
passion for helping others. It is extraordinary what
pains he will take to do a kind thing unobtrusively.
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS 323
' Cherry-Garrard is clean grit right through; one
has caught glimpses of him in tight places.
' Day has the sweetest temper and all sorts of
other nice characteristics. Moreover he has a very
remarkable mechanical ability, and I believe is about
as good a man as could have been selected for his
job.
' I don't think I will give such long descriptions
of the others, though most of them deserve equally
high praise. Taken all round, they are a perfectly
excellent lot.
' The men are equally fine. P.O. Evans looks after
our sledges and sledge equipment with a care of man-
agement and a fertility of resource which is truly
astonishing. On " trek " he is just as sound and hard
as ever, and has an inexhaustible store of anecdote.
Crean is perfectly happy, ready to do anything and
go anywhere, the harder the work, the better. Evans
and Crean are great friends. Lashly is his old self
in every respect, hard working to the limit/ quiet, ab-
stemious and determined. You see altogether I have
a good set of people with me, and it will go hard if
we don't achieve something.
' The study of individual characters is a pleasant
pastime in such a mixed community of thoroughly
nice people . . . men of the most diverse upbringing
and experience are really pals with one another, and
the subjects which would be delicate ground of dis-
cussion between acquaintances are just those which are
most freely used for jest ... I have never seen a
temper lost in these discussions. So as I sit here I am
324 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
very satisfied with these things. I think that it would
have been difficult to better the organisation of the
party every man has his work and is especially
adapted for it; there is no gap and no overlap. It
is all that I desired, and the same might well be said
of the men selected to do the work. . . .
' I don't know what to think of Amundsen's
chances. If he gets to the Pole, it must be before
we do, as he is bound to travel fast with dogs and
pretty certain to start early. On this account I de-
cided at a very early date to act exactly as I should
have done had he not existed. Any attempt to race
must have wrecked my plan, besides which it doesn't
appear the sort of thing one is out for.
' Possibly you will have heard something before this
reaches you. Oh! and there are all sorts of possibili-
ties. In any case you can rely on my not doing or
saying anything foolish only I'm afraid you must be
prepared for the chance of finding our venture much
belittled.
* After all, it is the work that counts, not the ap-
plause that follows/
The transport of emergency stores to Hut Point
was delayed by the weather until October 22, but on
that day the most important stores which were for
the returning depots and to provision the Discovery
hut in case the Terra Nova did not arrive were taken
by Wilson, Bowers and P.O. Evans and their ponies
to Glacier Tongue. Accidents, however, were still to
happen, for while Bowers was holding the ponies so
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS 325
that Wilson and Evans could unload them, Victor
got the hook, which fastened the harness to the trace
of another pony, into his nose. At that moment a
lot of drift swept upon them, and immediately all
three of the ponies stampeded, Snatcher making for
home and Nobby for the Western Mountains, while
Victor, with Bowers still hanging on to him, just bolted
here, there and everywhere. Wilson and P.O. Evans
at once started after their ponies, and the former by
means of a biscuit as a bait managed to catch Nobby
west of Tent Island, but Snatcher arrived, with a
single trace and dangling sledge, by himself at Cape
Evans. Half an hour after Wilson had returned
Bowers brought in Victor, who had a gash in his nose,
and was very much distressed. ' I don't know/
Scott says, c how Bowers managed to hang on to the
frightened animal; I don't believe anyone else would
have done so. ... Two lessons arise. First, how-
ever quiet the animals appear they must not be left
by their drivers no chance must be taken; secondly,
the hooks on the hames of the harness must be altered
in shape. I suppose such incidents as this were to
be expected, one cannot have ponies very fresh and
vigorous and expect them to behave like lambs, but I
shall be glad when we are oft and can know more
definitely what resources we can count on/
In addition to this mishap, a football match had
been got up two days before, In which Debenham
hurt his knee. Thus the Western Party was again
delayed, the only compensation for this accident
326 THE, VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
being that Forde's hand would have a better chance
of recovery while Debenham's knee was given time
to improve.
On the following day the motors seemed to be
ready for the start, but various little defects again
cropped up, and not until the next morning did they
get away. At first there were frequent stops, but on
the whole satisfactory progress was made, and as even
a small measure of success would, in Scott's opin-
ion, be enough to show their ability to revolutionise
Polar transport, and so help to prevent the cruelty that
is a necessary condition of animal transport, he was
intensely anxious about the result of this trial trip.
As this subject was one which was of the most supreme
interest to Scott, it is well to quote the opinion of an
expert upon these motor sledges. ' It has been said
that Captain Scott's sledges failed, and without further
consideration the design has been totally condemned,
but this is quite unfair to the design; and it must be
admitted by everyone who has had anything to do
with the sledges, and has any sort of knowledge of
mechanical principles, that it was the engine that
failed, not the transmission gear at all. The engine
used was a four-cylinder air-cooled one, and most un-
expectedly in the cold climate of the Antarctic it
over-heated and broke various parts, beyond possi-
bility of repair under the severe conditions* The
reason of the breakdown therefore applies to any and
every form of motor sledge, and should a satisfactory
engine be available for one form of sledge, it is equally
GOOD-BYE TO CAPE EVANS 327
available for another. It therefore shows a lack
of fair judgment to condemn the Scott sledge for a
breakdown, which would have applied equally to
every form of motor transport which could have been
designed.'
Unquestionably the motor sledges did enough to
make this unique experiment infinitely worth trying,
and on Friday, October 27, Scott declared that the
machines had already vindicated themselves. Even
the seamen, who had been very doubtful about them,
were profoundly impressed, and P.O. Evans admitted
that, * if them things can go on like that, I reckon you
wouldn't want nothing else/
As the days passed by, it was obvious that the
Western Party which consisted of Taylor, Debenham,
Gran and Forde would have to leave after the
Southern Party. * It is trying that they should be
wasting the season in this way. All things considered,
I shall be glad to get away and put our fortune to the
test/ Scott wrote on the 28th. And two days later
he added: c Meares and Pouting are just off to Hut
Point. Atkinson and Keohane will probably leave in
an hour or so as arranged, and if the weather holds,
we shall all get off to-morrow. So here end the entries
in this diary with the first chapter of our History. The
future is in the lap of the gods; I can think of nothing
left undone to deserve success/
CHAPTER VII
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS
Free men freely work.
Whoever fears God, fears to sit at ease.
E. B. BROWNING.
* As we are just off on our Southern journey, with a
good chance of missing the ship on our return/ Scott
wrote before leaving Cape Evans on November i, * I
send a word of greeting. We are going away with
high hopes of success and for the moment everything
smiles, but where risks must be taken the result must
be dependent on chance to some extent.
* I am lucky in having with me the right men for
the work; we have lived most happily together through
the long winter, and now all are fit, ready, and eager
to go forward, and, apart from the result, the work
itself is extraordinarily fascinating.'
The march to Hut Point was begun in detach-
ments, Scott leading Snippets and soon finding him-
self where he wished to be, at the tail of the team.
After all Jehu had refuted predictions by being al-
lowed to start, although so little confidence was still
328
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 329
placed in him that on the previous day he had been
sent at his own pace to Hut Point. Chinaman was
also ' an unknown quantity/ but the chief trouble on
the opening march was caused by the persistently
active Christopher, who kicked and bucked the whole
way.
On this march, which reminded Scott of a regatta
or a somewhat disorganised fleet with ships of very
unequal speed, a good knowledge was obtained of the
various paces of the ponies, and the plan of advance
was, after some trouble, arranged. The start was to
be made from Hut Point in three parties the very
slow ponies, the medium paced, and the fliers. The
motors with Day, E. R. Evans, Lashly and Hooper
(who had taken Clissold's place) were already on the
way, and the dogs, with Meares and Demetri, were to
follow the main detachments.
Night marching was decided upon, and after supper
good-bye was said to Hut Point, and Atkinson, Wright
and Keohane led off with Jehu, Chinaman and Jimmy
Pigg. Two hours later Scott, Wilson and Cherry-
Garrard left, their ponies marching steadily and well
together on the sea-ice. At Safety Camp they found
Atkinson, who reported that Chinaman and Jehu were
already tired. Soon after Scott's party had camped
for lunch, Ponting arrived with Demetri and a small
dog team, and the cinematograph was up in time to
catch the flying rearguard, which came along in fine
form with Snatcher, * a wonderful little beast/ leading.
Christopher had given his customary exhibition when
330 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
harnessed, and although the Barrier surface had
sobered him a little it was not thought advisable for
him to stop, and so the party fled through in the wake
of the advance guard, and were christened ' the through
train/
' After lunch/ Scott, writing from Camp I on No-
vember 3, says, * we packed up and marched steadily
on as before. I don't like these midnight lunches, but
for man the march that follows is pleasant when, as to-
day, the wind falls and the sun steadily increases its
heat. The two parties in front of us camped five miles
beyond Safety Camp, and we reached their camp some
half or three-quarters of an hour later. All the ponies
are tethered in good order, but most of them are tired
Chinaman and Jehu very tired. ... A petrol tin is
near the camp and a note stating that the motors passed
at 9 P.M. 28th, going strong they have from four to
five days' lead and should surely keep it/
On the next march they started in what for some
time was to be the settled order Atkinson's con-
tingent at 8 P.M., Scott's at 10, Gates' an hour and
a quarter later. Just after starting they picked up
cheerful notices saying that all was well with both the
motors, and Day wrote, ' Hope to meet in 80 30' Lat/
But very soon afterwards a depot of petrol was found;
and worse was to follow, as some four miles out from
Camp i they came across a tin bearing the sad an-
nouncement, * Big end Day's motor No. 2 cylinder
broken/ Half a mile beyond was the motor, its track-
ing sledges, &c. ; and notes from E. Evans and Day to
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 331
tell the tale of the mishap. The only spare big end
had been used for Lashly's machine, and as it would
have taken a long time to strip Day's engine so that
it could run on three cylinders, they had decided to
abandon it and push on with the other alone. ( So
the dream of help from the machines is at an end ! The
track of the remaining motor goes steadily forward,
but now, of course, I shall expect to see it every hour
of the march.'
On the second and third marches the ponies did
fairly well on a bad surface, but as yet they had only
light loads to pull; and not until they were tested
was Scott prepared to express much confidence in
them. At Camp 3 he found a troubled note from E.
Evans saying that their maximum speed was about
7 miles a day. 6 They have taken on nine bags of
forage, but there are three black dots to the south
which we can only imagine are the deserted motor
with its loaded sledges. The men have gone on as a
supporting party, as directed. It is a disappointment.
I had hoped better of the machines once they got away
on the Barrier Surface/
From this camp they started in the usual order,
having arranged that full loads should be carried if
the black dots proved to be the motors, and very soon
they found their fears confirmed. Another note from
E. Evans stated a recurrence of the old trouble. The
big end of No. i cylinder had cracked, otherwise the
machine was in good order, ' Evidently/ Scott wrote
in reference to this misfortune, 'the engines are not
332 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
fitted for working in this climate, a fact that should
be certainly capable of correction. One thing is
proved: the system of propulsion is altogether satis-
factory. The motor party has proceeded as a man-
hauling party as arranged/
As they came to Camp 4 a blizzard threatened,
and snow walls were at once built for the ponies. The
last march, however, was more than a compensation
for bad weather. Jehu and Chinaman with loads of
over 450 Ibs. had stepped out well and had finished
as fit as they had started, while the better ponies had
made nothing of their loads, Scott's Snippets having
pulled over 700 Ibs., sledge included. ' We are all much
cheered by this performance. It shows a hardening
up of ponies which have been well trained; even Oates
is pleased ! '
The blizzard only just gave them time to get every-
thing done in the camp before it arrived. The
ponies, however, in their new rugs and with shelter-
ing walls as high as themselves could scarcely feel
the wind, and as this protection was a direct result
of experience gained in the previous year, Scott was
glad to feel that some good had been obtained from
that disastrous journey. But when the snow began to
fall the ponies as usual suffered, because it was im-
possible to devise any means of keeping them com-
fortable in thick and driving snow. ' We men are
snug and comfortable enough, but it is very evil
to lie here and know that the weather is steadily
sapping the strength of the beasts on which so
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 333
much depends. It requires much philosophy to be
cheerful on such occasions.' In the midst of the
drift during the forenoon of the 7th Meares and
Demetri with the dogs arrived, and camped about a
quarter of a mile away. In catching the main party
up so soon Scott considered that Meares had played
too much for safety, but at the same time it was
encouraging to know that the dogs would pull the loads
assigned to them, and that they could face such ter-
rific winds.
The threatening weather continued until late on
Tuesday night, and the question of starting was left
open for a long time, several of the party thinking it
unwise to march. At last, however, the decision was
made to go, and the advance guard got away soon after
midnight. Then, to Scott's surprise and delight, he dis-
covered that his fears about the ponies were needless.
Both Jehu and Chinaman took skittish little runs when
their rugs were removed, and Chinaman even betrayed
a not altogether irresistible desire to buck. In fact the
only pony that gave any trouble was Christopher, and
this not from any fatigue but from excessive spirit.
Most of the ponies halted now and again to get a
mouthful of snow, but Christopher had still to be sent
through with a non-stop run, for his tricks and devices
were as innumerable as ever. Oates had to cling like
grim death to his bridle until the first freshness had
worn off, and this was a long rather than a light task,
as even after ten miles he was prepared to misbehave
himself if he got the smallest chance.
334 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
A few hundred yards from Camp 5 Bowers picked
up a bale of forage and loaded it on his sledge, bringing
the weight to nearly 800 Ibs. Victor, however, went
on as though nothing had happened, and although the
surface was for the time wonderfully good, and it
still remained a question how the ponies would get on
under harder conditions, Scott admitted that so far
the outlook was very encouraging. The cairns built
in the previous year showed up very distinctly and
were being picked up with the greatest ease, and this
also was an additional cause for satisfaction because
with pony walls, camp sites and cairns, the track on
the homeward march seemed as if it must be easy to
follow. Writing at Camp 5, Scott says, { Everyone is
as fit as can be. It was wonderfully warm as we
camped this morning at n o'clock; the wind has
dropped completely and the sun shines gloriously.
Men and ponies revel in such weather. One devoutly
hopes for a good spell of it as we recede from the windy
Northern region. The dogs came up soon after we had
camped, travelling easily/
On the next march they remained faithful to their
programme of advancing a little over ten geographical
miles nightly. But during the last two miles of this
stage all of the ponies were together. * It looked like
a meet of the hounds, and Jehu ran away ! ! ' was
Cherry-Garrard's account of this scene in his diary.
But in Scott's opinion it was clearly not advantageous
to march in one detachment, because the slow advance-
guard ponies were forced out of their pace by joining
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 335
with the others, while the fast rearguard had their
speed reduced. This, however, was a great day for
Jehu, whose attempt to bolt, though scarcely amounting
to more than a sprawling canter, was freely acknowl-
edged to be a creditable performance for a pony who at
the start had been thought incapable of doing a single
march.
The weather now began to change rapidly for the
worse, and in consequence the pleasure of marching
as rapidly vanished. In arriving at Camp 7 they had
to struggle at first against a strong head wind, and
afterwards in a snowstorm. Wright, who was leading,
found it so impossible to see where he was going that
he decided to camp some two miles short of the usual
ten, but the ponies continued to do well and this was
a compensation for the curtailed distance.
A worse surface was in store for them when they
started from Camp 7, in fact Scott and Wilson de-
scribed it as one of the worst they had ever seen. The
snow that had fallen in the day remained soft, and
added to this they had entered upon an area of soft
crust between a few scattered hard sastrugi. In pits
between these the snow lay in sandy heaps, making
altogether the most difficult conditions for the ponies.
Nevertheless the stronger ponies continued to pull ex-
cellently, and even the poor old crocks succeeded in
covering g l /2 miles. ' Such a surface makes one
anxious in spite of the rapidity with which changes take
place. I expected these marches to be a little difficult,
but not near so bad as to-day's. * . . In spite of the
surface, the dogs ran up from the camp before last.
336 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
over 20 miles, in the night. They are working splen-
didly/
The surface was still bad and the weather horrid
on the following day, but 5 miles out the advance
party came straight and true upon the last year's
Bluff depot. Here Scott found a note, from which
he learned the cheering news that E. Evans and his
party must be the best part of five days ahead. On
the other hand, Atkinson had a very gloomy report to
make of Chinaman, who could, he thought, only last
a few more miles. Oates, however, much more op-
timistic than usual, considered that Chinaman would
last for several days ; and during another horrid march
to Camp 10 all the ponies did well, Jehu especially dis-
tinguishing himself.
4 We shall be/ Scott wrote from this camp on Mon-
day, November 13, ' in a better position to know how
we stand when we get to One Ton Camp, now only
17 or 18 miles, but I am anxious about these beasts
very anxious, they are not the ponies they ought
to have been, and if they pull through well, all the
thanks will be due to Oates. I trust the weather and
surface conditions will improve; both are rank bad
at present/ The next stage took them within 7 or
8 miles of One Ton Camp, and with a slightly im-
proved surface and some sun the spirits of the party
revived. But, although the ponies were working splen-
didly, it was painful work for them to struggle on
through the snow, and Christopher's antics when har-
nessed were already a thing of the past a fact which
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 337
would have been totally unregretted had it not been
evidence that his strength was also beginning to
diminish.
One Ton Camp was found without any difficulty,
and having pushed on to Camp 12 it was decided to
give the animals a day's rest there, and afterwards to
go forward at the rate of 13 geographical miles (15
statute miles) a day. * Oates thinks the ponies will
get through, but that they have lost condition quicker
than he expected. Considering his usually pessimistic
attitude this must be thought a hopeful view. Person-
ally I am much more hopeful. I think that a good
many of the beasts are actually in better form than
when they started, and that there is no need to be
alarmed about the remainder, always excepting the
weak ones which we have always regarded with doubt.
Well, we must wait and see how things go/
Another note from E. Evans was found at One
Ton Camp, stating that his party had taken on four
boxes of biscuits, and would wait for the main detach-
ment at Lat. 80 30'. The minimum thermometer left
there in the previous year showed 73, which was
rather less than Scott had expected.
After the day's rest the loads were re-organised,
the stronger ponies taking on about 580 Ibs., while
the others had rather over 400 Ibs. as their burden;
and refreshed by their holiday all of them marched
into the next camp without any signs of exhaustion.
By this time frost-bites were .frequent, both Oates
and P,O, Evans being victims, while Meares, when told
338 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
that his nose was ' gone/ remarked that he was tired of
it and that it would thaw out by and by !
Hopes and fears concerning the ponies naturally
alternated on such a journey, and the latter predomi-
nated when Scott wrote on November 18 from Camp
14. e The ponies are not pulling well. The surface
is, if anything., a little worse than yesterday, but I
should think about the sort of thing we shall have to
expect henceforward. . . . It's touch and go whether
we scrape up to the Glacier; meanwhile we get along
somehow.'
During the next two marches, however, the ponies,
in spite of rather bad surfaces, did wonderfully well,
and both Jehu and Chinaman began to be regarded
with real admiration, Jehu being re-christened ' The
Barrier Wonder ' and Chinaman ' The Thunderbolt/
Again Scott began to take a hopeful view of get-
ting through, unless the surfaces became infinitely
worse.
While on the way to Camp 17 Scott's detachment
found E. Evans and his party in Lat. 80 32', and
heard that they had been waiting for six days, which
they had spent in building a tremendous cairn. All
of them looked very fit, btw^i >^were also very
hungry an informing fact, as it proved conclusively
that a ration which was ample for the needs of men
leading ponies, was nothing like enough for those who
were doing hard pulling work. Thus the provision
that Scott had made for summit work received a full
justification, though even with the rations that were
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 339
to be taken he had no doubt that hunger would attack
the party.
After some discussion it was decided to take Evans'
motor party on in advance for three days, and then
that Day and Hooper should return.
Good, steady progress was made on the next two
marches, and at Camp 19 they were within 150
geographical miles of the Glacier. * But it is still
rather touch and go. If one or more ponies were
to go rapidly down hill we might be in queer
street/
Then at Camp 20 carne the end of the gallant Jehu.
s We did the usual march very easily over a fairly
good surface, the ponies now quite steady and regular.
Since the junction with the Motor Party the procedure
has been for the man-hauling people to go forward
just ahead of the crocks, the other party following
two or three hours later. To-day we closed less than
usual, so the crocks must have been going very well.
However, the fiat had already gone forth, and this
morning (November 24) after the march poor old Jehu
was led back on the track and shot. After our doubts
as to his reaching Hut Point, it is wonderful to think
that he has actw . c eight marches beyond our last
year limit, and could have gone more. However,
towards the end he was pulling very little, and on the
whole it is merciful to have ended his life. Chinaman
seems to improve and will certainly last a good many
days yet. I feel we ought to get through now. Day
and Hooper leave us to-night/
340 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Referring to Jehu in his diary Cherry-Garrard re-
marked how much Scott felt * this kind of thing/ and
how cut up Atkinson was at the loss of his pony.
After Day and Hooper had turned back the party
was re-arranged and started together. The man-
haulers, Atkinson, E. Evans and Lashly, went ahead
with their gear on the lofoot sledge, then came
Wright with Chinaman and Keohane with James Pigg,
the rest following close behind them. But although
the two crocks had not been given their usual start,
they stuck to their work so gallantly that at the finish
they were less than a quarter of a mile behind.
At Camp 22, in Lat 81 35' the Middle Barrier
Depot was made, and as they did not leave until 3 A.M.
they were gradually getting back to day-marching.
The next stage, however, of their journey was strug-
gled through under the greatest difficulties. At the
start the surface was bad, and the man-haulers in front
made such heavy weather of it that they were repeat-
edly overtaken. This threw the ponies out and pro-
longed the march so much that six hours were spent
in reaching the lunch camp. But bad as the first part
of the march had been, the latter part was even worse.
The advance party started on ski, but had the great-
est difficulty in keeping a course; and presently snow
began to fall heavily with a rise of temperature, and
the ski became hopelessly clogged. At this time
the surface was terribly hard for pulling, and the
man-haulers also found it impossible to steer. The
march of 13 miles was eventually completed, but under
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 341
the most harassing circumstances and with very tired
animals.
' Our forage supply necessitates that we should plug
on the 13 (geographical) miles daily under all con-
ditions, so that we can only hope for better things.
It is several days since we had a glimpse of land, which
makes conditions especially gloomy. A tired animal
makes a tired man, I find, and none of us are very
bright now after the day's march.'
No improvement in the weather was in store for
them on the following day (November 28), for snow-
storms swept over them, the driving snow not only
preventing them from seeing anything, but also hitting
them stingingly in their faces. Chinaman was shot on
this night, but in struggling on until he was within 90
miles of the Glacier he had done more than was ever
expected of him; and with only four bags of forage
left the end of all the ponies was very near at hand.
During the march to Camp 25, Lat. 82 21', 'the
most unexpected and trying summer blizzard yet
experienced in this region ' ceased, and prospects
improved in every respect. While they were marching
the land showed up hazily, and at times looked remark-
ably close to them. ' Land shows up almost ahead
now/ Scott wrote on the 29th, c and our pony goal is
less than 70 miles away. The ponies are tired, but
I believe all have five days' work left in them, and
some a great deal more. ... It follows that the dogs
can be employed, rested and fed well on the homeward
track. We could really get through now with their
342 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
help and without much delay, yet every consideration
makes it desirable to save the men from heavy hauling
as long as possible. So I devoutly hope the 70 miles
will come in the present order of things/
Snippets and Nobby by this time walked by them-
selves, but both of them kept a continually cunning
eye upon their driver, and if he stopped they at once
followed his example. It was, Scott admitted, a relief
no longer to have to lead his animal, for fond of
Snippets as he was, the vagaries of the animal were
annoying when on the march. Thursday, November
30, brought most pleasant weather with it, but the
surface was so bad that all of the ponies, with the ex-
ception of Nobby, began to show obvious signs of fail-
ure. A recurrence of * sinking crusts ' (areas which
gave way with a report) was encountered, and the
ponies very often sank nearly to their knees.
At Camp 27 Nobby was the only pony who did not
show signs of extreme exhaustion, but forage was be-
ginning to get so scarce that even Nobby had nearly
reached the end of his life. On this night (December
i) Christopher was shot, and by no possibility could
he be much regretted, for he had given nothing but
trouble at the outset, and as soon as his spirits began
to fail his strength had also disappeared. ' He has
been a great disappointment/ Cherry-Garrard wrote,
* even James Pigg has survived him.'
A depot, called the Southern Barrier Depot, was
left at Camp 27, so that no extra weight was added to
the loads of the other ponies. ' Three more marches
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 343
ought to carry us through. With the seven crocks
and the dog teams we must get through, I think. The
men alone ought not to have heavy loads on the surface,
which is extremely trying/
On the morning of the ist Nobby had been tried
in snow-shoes, and for about four miles had travelled
splendidly upon them, but then the shoes racked and
had to be taken off; nevertheless, in Scott's opinion,
there was no doubt that snow-shoes were the thing for
ponies, and that if his ponies had been able to use them
from the beginning their condition would have been
very different from what it was.
From Camp 28, Lat 83, Scott wrote, e Started
under very bad weather conditions. The stratus
spreading over from the S.E. last night meant mis-
chief, and all day we marched in falling snow with a
horrible light, . . . The ponies were sinking deep in a
wretched surface. I suggested to Gates that he should
have a roving commission to watch the animals, but he
much preferred to lead one, so I handed over Snippets
very willingly and went on ski myself/ This he found
such easy work, that he had time to take several
photographs of the ponies as they plunged through
the snow. But in the afternoon they found a better
surface, and Scott, who was leading, had to travel at a
very steady pace to keep the lead.
When this march had finished they had reached
the 83rd parallel, and were c practically safe to get
through/ But with forage becoming scarcer and
scarcer poor Bictor to the great sorrow of Bowers,
344 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
who was very fond of him had to be shot. Six ponies
remained, and as the dogs were doing splendidly, the
chances of the party reaching the Glacier were excel-
lent if only they could see their way to it. Wild
in his diary of Shackleton's journey remarked on
December 15 that it was the first day for a month on
which he could not record splendid weather. With
Scott's party, however, a fine day had been the excep-
tion rather than the rule, and the journey had been
one almost perpetual fight against bad weather and
bad surfaces.
The tent parties at this date were made up of
(i) Scott, Wilson, Oates and Keohane; (2) Bowers,
P.O. Evans, Cherry-Garrard and Crean; (3) man-
haulers, E. R. Evans, Atkinson, Wright and Lashly.
* We have all taken to horse meat and are so well fed
that hunger isn't thought of.'
At 2.30 A.M. on Sunday, December 3, Scott, in-
tending to get away at 5, roused all hands, but their
bad luck in the way of weather once more delayed the
start. At first there seemed to be just a chance that
they might be able to march, but while they were hav-
ing breakfast a full gale blew up from the south ;
* the strongest wind I have known here in summer/ In
a very short time the pony wall was blown down, the
sledges were buried, and huge drifts had collected. In
heavy drift everyone turned out to make up the pony
walls, but the flanking wall was blown down three times
before the job was completed. About mid-day the
weather improved and soon afterwards the clouds broke
and the land appeared; and when they got away at
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 345
2 P.M., the sun was shining brightly. But this pleasant
state of affairs was only destined to last for one short
hour; after that snow again began to fall, and
marching conditions became supremely horrible. The
wind increased from the S.E., changed to S.W., where
for a time it remained, and then suddenly shifted to
W.N.W., and afterwards to N.N.W., from which di-
rection it continued to blow with falling and drifting
snow. But in spite of these rapid and absolutely be-
wildering changes of conditions they managed to get
11^2 miles south and to Camp 29 at 7 P.M. The man-
haulers, however, camped after six miles, for they
found it impossible to steer a course. ' We (Scott and
Bowers) steered with compass, the drifting snow
across our ski, and occasional glimpses of south-
easterly sastrugi under them, till the sun showed dimly
for the last hour or so. The whole weather conditions
seem thoroughly disturbed, and if they continue so
when we are on the Glacier, we shall be very awk-
wardly placed. It is really time the luck turned in our
favour we have had all too little of it. Every mile
seems to have been hardly won under such conditions.
The ponies did splendidly and the forage is lasting a
little better than expected ... we should have no
difficulty whatever as regards transport if only the
weather was kind/ On the following day the weather
was still in a bad mood, for no sooner had they got on
their gear for the start than a thick blizzard from the
S.S.E. arrived. Quickly everyone started to build
fresh walls for the ponies, an uninviting task enough in
a regular white flowing blizzard, but one which added
346 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
greatly to the comfort of the animals, who looked
sleepy and bored, but not at all cold. Just as the walls
were finished the man-haulers came into camp, having
been assisted in their course by the tracks that the
other parties had made.
Fortunately the wind moderated in the forenoon and
by 2 P.M. they were off and in six hours had placed 13
more miles to their credit. During this march the land
was quite clearly in view, and several uncharted
glaciers of large dimensions were seen. The mountains
were rounded in outline, very massive, with excrescent
peaks, one or two of the peaks on the foothills standing
bare and almost perpendicular. Ahead of them was
the ice-rounded, boulder-strewn Mount Hope and the
gateway to the Glacier. ' We should reach it easily
enough on to-morrow's march if we can compass 12
miles. . . . We have only lost 5 or 6 miles on these
two wretched days, but the disturbed condition of the
weather makes me anxious with regard to the Glacier,
where more than anywhere we shall need fine days.
One has a horrid feeling that this is a real bad season.
However, sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. We
are practically through with the first stage o our
journey. Looking from the last Camp (29) towards
the S.S.E., where the farthest land can be seen, it
seemed more than probable that a very high latitude
could be reached on the Barrier, and if Amundsen
journeying that way has a stroke of luck, he may well
find his summit journey reduced to 100 miles or so.
In any case it is a fascinating direction for next year's
work, if only fresh transport arrives. 7
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 347
On this day, December 4, the ponies marched
splendidly, crossing the deep snow in the undulations
without any difficulty, and had food been plentiful
enough there was no doubt that they could have gone
on for many more miles. As it was ' gallant little
Michael * had to be sacrificed when the march was
over. ' He walked away/ Cherry-Garrard wrote, ' and
rolled on the way down, not having done so when we
got in. He died quite instantaneously. He was just
like a naughty child all the way and pulled all out; he
has been a good friend and has a good record, 83
22' S. He was a bit done to-day, the blizzard had
knocked him. 5
By night the weather looked very uninviting, and
they woke to find a raging, howling blizzard. Previ-
ously the winds that had so constantly bothered them
had lacked that very fine powdery snow which is
usually an especial feature of a blizzard, but on this
occasion they got enough and to spare of it Anyone
who went into the open for a minute or two was covered
from head to foot, and as the temperature was high the
snow stuck where it fell. The heads, tails and legs
of the ponies were covered with ice, and they had to
stand deep in snow. The sledges were almost covered,
and there were huge drifts about the tent. It was a
scene on which no one wanted to look longer than he
could help, and after they had rebuilt the pony walls
they retreated sadly and soppingly into their bags.
Even the small satisfaction of being able to see from
one tent to another was denied them, and Scott, while
asking what on earth such weather could mean at this
348 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
time of year, stated emphatically that no party could
possibly travel against such a wind.
* Is there/ he asked, * some widespread atmospheric
disturbance which will be felt everywhere in this
region as a bad season, or are we merely the victims of
exceptional local conditions? If the latter, there is
food for thought in picturing our small party strug-
gling against adversity in one place whilst others go
smilingly forward in sunshine. How great may be the
element of luck ! No foresight no procedure could
have prepared us for this state of affairs. Had we
been ten times as experienced or certain of our aim we
should not have expected such rebuffs/
The snowfall on this day (December 5) was quite
the greatest that Scott remembered, the drifts about
the tents being colossal. And to add to their misery
and misfortune the temperature remained so high that
the snow melted if it fell on anything except snow,
with the result that tents, wind clothes, night boots,
&c., were all wet through ; while water, dripping from
the tent poles and door, lay on the floor, soaked the
sleeping-bags, and made the situation inconceivably
miserable. In the midst of this slough, however,
Keohane had the spirit to make up a rhyme, which is
worth quoting mainly, if not solely, because of the
conditions under which it was produced :
The snow is all melting and everything's afloat,
If this goes on much longer we shall have to turn the tent
upside down and use it as a boat
The next day Scott described as "miserable,
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 349
utterly miserable. We have camped in the " Slough
of Despond" 3 When within twelve miles of the
Glacier it was indeed the most cruel fortune to be held
up by such a raging tempest. .'The temperature at noon
had risen to 33, and everything was more soakingly
wet than ever, if that was possible. The ponies, too,
looked utterly desolate, and the snow climbed higher
and higher about the walls, tents and sledges. At
night signs of a break came, but hopes of marching
again were dashed on the following morning, when
the storm continued and the situation became most
serious; after this day only one small feed remained
for the ponies, so that they had either to march or to
sacrifice all the animals. That, however, was not the
most serious part, for with the help of the dogs they
could without doubt have got on. But what troubled
Scott most intensely was that they had on this morning
(December 7) started on their summit rations, or,
in other words, the food calculated to take them on
from the Glacier depot had been begun.
In the meantime the storm showed no signs of
abatement, and its character was as unpleasant as
ever. I can find no sign of an end, and all of us agree
that it is utterly impossible to move. Resignation to
this misfortune is the only attitude, but not an easy one
to adopt. It seems undeserved where plans were well
laid, and so nearly crowned with a first success. . . .
The margin for bad weather was ample according to
ll experience, and this stormy December our finest
month is a thing that the most cautious organiser
350 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
might not have been prepared to encounter. . . . There
cannot be good cheer in the camp In such weather, but
it is ready to break out again. In the brief spell of
hope last night one heard laughter.'
Hour after hour passed with little or no improve-
ment, and as every hour of inactivity was a real
menace to the success of their plans, no one can wonder
that they chafed over this most exasperating delay.
Under ordinary circumstances it would have been
melancholy enough to watch the mottled, wet, green
walls of their tents and to hear the everlasting patter
of the falling snow and the ceaseless rattle of the flut-
tering canvas, but when the prospect of failure of their
cherished plan was added to the acute discomforts of
the situation, it is scarcely possible to imagine how
totally miserable they must have been both in body and
mind. Nevertheless in the midst of these distressing
conditions Scott managed to write, * But yet, after all,
one can go on striving, endeavouring to find a stimula-
tion in the difficulties that arise/
Friday morning, however, did not bring any cause
for hope. The snow was still falling heavily, and
they found themselves lying in pools of water that
squelched whenever they moved. Under such cir-
cumstances it was a relief to get outside, shift the
tents and dig out the sledges. All of the tents had
been reduced to the smallest space by the gradual
pressure of snow, the old sites being deep pits with
hollowed, icy, wet centres. The re-setting of them
at least made things more comfortable, and as the
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 351
wind dropped about mid-day and a few hours later
the sky showed signs of breaking, hope once more
revived ; but soon afterwards snow was falling again,
and the position was rapidly becoming absolutely
desperate.
To test the surface the man-haulers tried to pull
a load during the afternoon, and although it proved
a tough job they managed to do it by pulling in ski.
On foot the men sank to their knees, and an attempt
to see what Nobby could do under such circumstances
was anything but encouraging.
Writing in the evening Scott said, * Wilson thinks
the ponies finished, but Oates thinks they will get
another march in spite of the surface, if it comes
to-morrow. If It should not, we must kill the ponies
to-morrow and get on as best we can with the men on
ski and the dogs. But one wonders what the dogs can
do on such a surface. I much fear they also will prove
inadequate. Oh! for fine weather, if only to the
Glacier/
By ii P.M. the wind had gone to the north, and
the sky at last began really to break. The temperature
also helped matters by falling to +'26, and in con-
sequence the water nuisance began to abate; and at
the prospect of action on the following morning cheer-
ful sounds were once more heard in the camp. * The
poor ponies look wistfully for the food of which
so very little remains, yet they are not hungry, as
recent savings have resulted from food left in their
nose-bags. They look wonderfully fit, all things
352 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
considered. Everything looks more hopeful to-night ,
but nothing can recall four lost days.' During the night
Scott turned out two or three times to find the weather
slowly improving, and at 8 o'clock on December 9
they started upon a most terrible march to Camp 31.
The tremendous snowfall had made the surface
intolerably soft, and the half-fed animals sank deeper
and deeper. None of them could be led for more
than a few minutes, but if they were allowed to follow
the poor beasts did fairly well. Soon, however, it
began to seem as if no real headway could be made,
and so the man-haulers were pressed into the service
to try and improve matters.
Bowers and Cherry-Garrard went ahead with one
xo-foot sledge and made a track thus most painfully
a mile or so was gained. Then when it seemed as if
the limit had been reached P.O. Evans saved the
situation by putting the last pair of snow-shoes upon
Snatcher, who at once began to go on without much
pressure, and was followed by the other ponies.
No halt was made for lunch, but after three or
four laborious miles they found themselves engulfed
in pressures which added to the difficulties of their
march. Still, however, they struggled on, and by
8 P.M. they were within a mile of the slope ascending
to the gap, which Shackleton called the Gateway.
This gateway was a neck or saddle of drifted snow
lying in a gap of the mountain rampart which flanked
the last curve of the Glacier, and Scott had hoped to
be through it at a much earlier date, as indeed he
THE SOUTHERN JOURNEY BEGINS 353
would have been had not the prolonged storm delayed
him.
By this time the ponies, one and all, were quite
exhausted. ' They came on painfully slowly a few
hundred yards at a time, ... I was hauling ahead,
a ridiculously light load, and yet finding the pulling
heavy enough. We camped, and the ponies have been
shot Poor beasts! they have done wonderfully well
considering the terrible circumstances under which
they worked/
On December 8 Wilson wrote in his journal, I
have kept Nobby all my biscuits to-night as he has
to try to do a march to-morrow, and then happily he
will be shot and all of them, as their food is quite
done.' And on the following day he added : * Nobby
had all my biscuits last night and this morning, and
by the time we camped I was just ravenously hungry.
. . . Thank God the horses are now all done with and
we begin the heavy work ourselves/
This Camp 31 received the name of Shambles Camp,
and although the ponies had not, owing to the storm,
reached the distance Scott had expected, yet he, and
all who had taken part in that distressing march, were
relieved to know that the sufferings of their plucky
animals had at last come to an end.
CHAPTER VIII
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER
In thrilling region of thick ribbed ice
To be imprisoned in the viewless winds
And blown with restless violence round about.
SHAKESPEARE.
ON the death of the ponies at Camp 31 the party
was reorganised, and for some days advanced in the
following order :
Sledge i. Scott, Wilson, Gates and P.O. Evans.
Sledge 2. E. Evans, Atkinson, Wright and Lashly.
Sledge 3. Bowers, Cherry-Garrard, Crean and
Keohane; with Meares and Demetri continuing
to drive the dogs.
When leaving this Camp Scott was very doubtful
whether the loads could be pulled over such an appal-
ling surface, and that success attended their efforts
was due mainly to the ski. The start was delayed by
the readjustments that had to be made, but when they
got away at noon, and with a one, two, three together '
Scott's party began to pull their sledge, they were
most agreeably surprised to find it running fairly easily
354
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 355
behind them. The first mile was gained in about half
an hour, but then they began to rise, and soon after-
wards with the slope becoming steeper and the surface
getting worse they had "to take off their ski. After
this the pulling was extraordinarily exhausting, for
they sank above their finnesko, and in some places
nearly up to their knees.
The runners of the sledges became coated with a
thin film of ice from which it was impossible to free
them, and the sledges themselves sank in soft spots
to the cross-bars. At 5 P.M. they reached the top of
the slope, and after tea started on the down grade.
On this they had to pull almost as vigorously as on
the upward slope, but they could just manage to get
along on ski.
' Evans and his party, however, were unable to keep
up the pace set by the leaders, and when they camped
at 9.15 Scott heard some news that thoroughly alarmed
him. s It appears/ he wrote, ( that Atkinson says that
Wright is getting played out, and Lashly is not so fit
as he was owing to the heavy pulling since the blizzard.
I have not felt satisfied about this party. The finish
of the march to-day showed clearly that something was
wrong. . . . True, the surface was awful and grow-
ing worse every moment. It is a very serious business
if the men are going to crack tip. As for myself, I
never felt fitter and my party can easily hold its own.
P.O. Evans, of course, is a tower of strength, but
Oates and Wilson are doing splendidly also.'
Round the spot where Camp 32 had been pitched
356 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the snow was appallingly deep and soft. ' Every step
here one sinks to the knees, and the uneven surface
is obviously insufficient to support the sledges.' A
wind, however, had sprung up, and though under
ordinary circumstances it would have been far from
welcome, on this occasion it was a blessing because
it hardened the snow; and a good surface was all the
more necessary because, after half another march,
Meares and Demetri were to return with the dogs, and
in consequence 200 Ibs. would have to be added to each
sledge-load.
Before starting from Camp 32 they built a depot
(the Lower Glacier depot), made it very conspicuous,
and left a good deal of gear there. Then at the very
beginning of their march they got into big pressure, and
must have passed over several crevasses. After four
hours, however, they were clear of the pressure, and
then they said good-bye to Meares and Demetri, who
took back a note from Scott to say that ' Things are
not so rosy as they might be, but we keep our spirits up
and say the luck must turn. This is only to tell you
that I find I can keep up with the rest as well as of old/
The start after lunch was anxious work, for the
question whether they could pull their loads had to
be answered. Scott's party went away first, and,
to their joy, found that they could make fairly good
headway. Every now and again the sledge sank in
a soft patch which brought them up, and then they
got sideways to the sledge and hauled it out. * We
learned/ Scott wrote on December n, at Camp 33,
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 357
* to treat such occasions with patience. . . . The great
thing is to keep the sledge moving, and for an hour
or more there were dozens of critical moments when
it all but stopped, and not a few when it brought up
altogether. The latter were very trying and tiring.
But suddenly the surface grew more uniform and we
more accustomed to the game, for after a long stop to
let the other parties come up, I started at 6 and ran
on till 7, pulling easily without a halt at the rate
of about 2 miles an hour. I was very jubilant ; all diffi-
culties seemed to be vanishing; but unfortunately our
history was not repeated with the other parties.
Bowers came up half an hour after us. They also
had done well at the last, and I'm pretty sure they
will get on all right. Keohane is the only weak spot,
and he only, I think, because temporarily blind. But
Evans' party didn't get up till 10. They started quite
well, but got into difficulties, did just the wrong thing
by straining again and again, and so, tiring them-
selves, went from bad to worse. Their ski shoes, too,
are out of trim.'
During the morning of the I2th they steered for
the Commonwealth Range until they reached about the
middle of the glacier and then the course was altered
for the * Cloudmaker/ and afterwards still further to
the west. In consequence they got a much better view
of the southern side of the main glacier than Shackle-
ton's party had obtained, and a number of peaks not
noticed previously were observed. On the first stage of
this march Scott's party was bogged time after time,
358 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
and do what they could their sledge dragged like a
huge lump of lead. Evans' team had been sent off in
advance and kept well ahead until lunch-time. Then,
when Scott admits being ' pretty well cooked,' the
secret of their trouble was disclosed in a thin film
with some hard knots of ice on the runners of the
sledge; these impediments having been removed they
went ahead without a hitch, and in a mile or two re-
sumed their leading position. As they advanced it
became more and more evident that, with the whole of
the lower valley filled with snow from the storm, they
would have been bogged had they been without ski.
* On foot one sinks to the knees, and if pulling on a
sledge to half-way between knee and thigh/
Scott's hope was that they would get better con-
ditions as they rose, but on the next march the surface
became worse instead of better, the sledges simply
plunging into the soft places and stopping dead. So
slow in fact was the progress they made, that on his
sledge Scott decided at lunch to try the lofoot run-
ners under the cross-bars, for the sledge was sinking
so deeply that the cross-pieces were on the surface
and acting as brakes. Three hours were spent in
securing the runners, and then Scott's party started
and promptly saw what difficulties the other teams
were having.
In spite of the most desperate efforts to get along,
Bowers and his men were so constantly bogged that
Scott soon passed them. But the toil was awful, be-
cause the snow with the sun shining and a high tern-
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 359
perature had become very wet and sticky, and again
and again the sledge got one runner on harder snow
than the other, canted on its side, and refused to move.
At the top of the rise Evans' party was reduced to re-
lay work, and shortly afterwards Bowers was com-
pelled to adopt the same plan. ' We/ Scott says, ' got
our whole load through till 7 P.M., camping time, but
only with repeated halts and labour which was alto-
gether too strenuous. The other parties certainly can-
not get a full load along on the surface, and I much
doubt if we could continue to do so, but we must try
again to-morrow. I suppose we have advanced a bare
four miles to-day and the aspect of things is very little
changed. Our height is now about 1,500 feet/
On the following morning Evans' party got off first
from Camp 35, and after stiff hauling for an hour or
so found the work much easier than on the previous
day. Bowers' contingent followed without getting
along so well, and so Scott, whose party were having
no difficulty with their load, exchanged sledges with
them, and a satisfactory morning's march was followed
by still better work in the afternoon, eleven or twelve
miles being gained. ' I think the soft snow trouble
is at an end, and I could wish nothing better than a
continuance of the present surface. Towards the end
of the march we were pulling our load with the greatest
ease. It is splendid to be getting along and to find
some adequate return for the work we are putting into
the business/
At Camp 37, on Friday, December 15, they had
360 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
reached a height of about 2,500 feet, after a march on
which the surface steadily improved and the snow
covering over the blue ice became thinner and thinner.
During the afternoon they found that at last they
could start their sledges by giving one good heave,
and so, for the first time, they were at liberty to stop
when they liked without the fear of horrible jerks
before they could again set the sledge going. Patches
of ice and hard neve were beginning to show through
in places, and had not the day's work been interrupted
by a snowstorm at 5 P.M. their march would have been
a really good one, but, as it was, eleven more miles
had to be put to their credit. The weather looked, how-
ever, very threatening as they turned in for the night,
and Scott expressed a fervent hope that they were not
going to be afflicted by snowstorms as they approached
the worst part of the glacier.
As was to be expected after the storm they found
the surface difficult when the march was resumed,
but by sticking to their work for over ten hours f the
limit of time to be squeezed into one day j they
covered eleven miles, and altered greatly the aspect
of the glacier. Beginning the march as usual on ski,
they had to take them off in the afternoon because
they struck such a peculiarly difficult surface that the
sledges were constantly being brought up. Then on
foot they made better progress, though no advance
could be made without the most strenuous labour. The
brittle crust would hold for a pace or two, and then
let them down with a bump, while now and again a leg
went down a crack in the hard ice underneath. So
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 361
far, since arriving among the disturbances, which in-
creased rapidly towards the end of the march, they had
not encountered any very alarming crevasses, though
a large quantity of small ones could be seen.
At the end of the march to Camp 39, Scott was
able to write, ' For once we can say " Sufficient for
the day is the good thereof." Our luck may be on the
turn I think we deserve it. In spite of the hard
work everyone is very fit and very cheerful, feeling
well fed and eager for more toil. Eyes are much better
except poor Wilson's; he has caught a very bad attack.
Remembering his trouble on our last Southern jour-
ney, I fear he is in for a very bad time. . . . I'm In-
clined to think that the summit trouble will be mostly
due to the chill falling on sunburned skins. Even now
one feels the cold strike directly one stops. We get
fearfully thirsty and chip up ice on the march, as well
as drinking a great deal of water on halting. Our
fuel only just does it, but that is all we want, and we
have a bit in hand for the summit. . . . We have worn
our crampons all day (December 17) and are delighted
with them. P.O. Evans, the inventor of both cram-
pons and ski shoes, is greatly pleased, and certainly we
owe him much/
On the ipth, although snow fell on and off during
the whole day and crevasses were frequent, a splendid
march of 14 miles was accomplished. The sledges
ran fairly well if only the haulers could keep their
feet, but on the rippled ice which they were crossing
it was impossible to get anything like a firm foothold.
Still, however, they stuck most splendidly to their
362 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
task, and on the following day even a better march was
made to Camp 41.
Starting on a good surface they soon came to a
number of criss-cross cracks, into two of which Scott
fell and badly bruised his knee and thigh. Then they
reached an admirably smooth ice surface over which
they travelled at an excellent pace, A long hour was
spent over the halt for lunch, during which angles,
photographs and sketches were taken, and continuing
to make progress in the second part of the day's march
they finished up with a gain of 17 miles. ' It has not
been a strain except perhaps for me with my wounds
received early in the day. The wind has kept us cool
on the march, which has in consequence been very much
pleasanter. . . . Days like this put heart in one/
On Wednesday, December 20, however, the good
marches of the previous two days were put entirely
into the shade by one of nearly 23 miles, during which
they rose 800 feet. Pulling the sledges in crampons
was not at all difficult on the hard snow and on hard
ice with patches of snow. At night they camped in
Lat. 84 59' 6", and then Scott had to perform a task
that he most cordially disliked. ' I have just told
off the people to return to-morrow night: Atkinson,
Wright, Cherry-Garrard and Keohane. All are dis-
appointed poor Wright rather bitterly, I fear. I
dreaded this necessity of choosing nothing coulcl be
more heartrending. I calculated our programme to
start from 85 10' with twelve units of food 1 and
1 A unit of food means a week's supplies for four men.
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 363
eight men. We ought to be in this position to-morrow
night, less one day's food. After all our harassing
trouble one cannot but be satisfied with such a prospect/
The next stage of the journey, though accom-
plished without accident, was too exciting to be alto-
gether pleasant, for crevasses were frequent and falls
not at all uncommon. And at mid-day, while they
were in the worst of places, a fog rolled up and kept
them in their tents for nearly three hours.
During this enforced delay, Scott wrote a letter
which was taken back by the returning party.
' December 21, 1911, Lat. 85 S. We are struggling
on, considering all things, against odds. The weather
is a constant anxiety, otherwise arrangements are
working exactly as planned.
* For your ear also I am exceedingly fit and can
go with the best of them.
* It is a pity the luck doesn't come our way, because
every detail of equipment is right . . . but all will be
well if we can get through to the Pole.
' I write this sitting in our tent waiting for the fog
to clear, an exasperating position as we are in the
worst crevassed region. Teddy Evans and Atkinson
were down to the length of their harness this morning,
and we have all been half-way down. As first man
I get first chance, and it's decidedly exciting not
knowing which step will give way. Still all this is
interesting enough if one could only go on.
' Since writing the above I made a dash for it ;
got out of the valley out of the fog and away from
364 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
crevasses. So here we are practically on the summit
and up to date in the provision line. We ought to
get through/
After the fog had cleared off they soon got out
of the worst crevasses, and on to a snow slope that
led past Mount Darwin. The pull up the slope was
long and stiff, but by holding on until 7.30 P.M. they
got off a good march and found a satisfactory place
for their depot. Fortunately the weather was both
calm and bright, and all the various sorting arrange-
ments that had to be made before the returning party
left them were carried out under most favourable con-
ditions. ' For me/ Scott says, * it is an immense relief
to have the indefatigable little Bowers to see to all de-
tail arrangements of this sort/ and on the following
day he added, ' we said an affecting farewell to the
returning party, who have taken things very well, dear
good fellows as they are.'
Then the reorganised parties (Scott, Wilson, Oates
and P.O. Evans; Bowers, E. R. Evans, Crean and
Lashly) started off with their heavy loads, and any
fears they had about their ability to pull them were
soon removed.
' It was a sad job saying good-bye/ Cherry-Garrard
wrote in his diary, * and I know some eyes were a bit
dim. It was thick and snowing when we started after
making the depot, and the last we saw of them as
we swung the sledge north, was a black dot just dis-
appearing over the next ridge, and a big white pressure
wave ahead of them/
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 365
Then the returning party set off on their homeward
march, and arrived at Cape Evans on January 28,
1912, after being away for three months.
Repairs to the sledgemeter delayed the advancing
party for some time during their first march under
the new conditions, but they managed to cover twelve
miles, and, with the loads becoming lighter every day,
Scott hoped to march longer hours and to make the
requisite progress. Steering, however, south-west on
the next morning they soon found themselves among
such bad crevasses and pressure, that they were com-
pelled to haul out to the north, and then to the west.
One comfort was that all the time they were rising.
s It is rather trying having to march so far to the west,
but if we keep rising we must come to the end of the
disturbance some time/ During the second part of this
march great changes of fortune awaited them. At
first they started west up a slope, and on the top an-
other pressure appeared on the left, but less lofty and
more snow-covered than that which had troubled them
in the morning. There was temptation to try this,
but Scott resisted it and turned west up yet another
slope, on the top of which they reached a most extraor-
dinary surface. Narrow crevasses, that were quite
invisible, ran in all directions. All of these crevasses
were covered with a thin crust of hardened neve which
had not a sign of a crack in it One after another,
and sometimes two at a time, they all fell in; and
though they were getting fairly accustomed to unex-
pected falls through being unable to mark the run of
366 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the surface appearances of cracks, or where such cracks
were covered with soft snow, they had never expected
to find a hardened crust formed over a crack, and such
a surface was as puzzling as it was dangerous and
troublesome.
For about ten minutes or so, while they were near
these narrow crevasses, they came on to snow which
had a hard crust and loose crystals below it, and each
step was like breaking through a glass-house. And
then, quite suddenly, the hard surface gave place to
regular sastrugi, and their horizon levelled in every
direction. At 6 P.M., when they reached Camp 45
(height about 7,750 feet), 17 miles stood to their
credit and Scott was feeling e very cheerful about
everything/ ' My determination/ he said, ' to keep
mounting irrespective of course is fully justified, and
I shall be indeed surprised if we have any further
difficulties with crevasses or steep slopes. To me for
the first time our goal seems really in sight/
On the following day (Christmas Eve) they did not
find a single crevasse, but high pressure ridges were
still to be seen, and Scott confessed that he should
be glad to lose sight of such disturbances. Christmas
Day, however, brought more trouble from crevasses
c very hard, smooth neve between high ridges at the
edge of crevasses, and therefore very difficult to get
foothold to pull the sledges/ To remedy matters
they got out their ski sticks, but this did not prevent
several of them from going half-down; while Lashiy,
disappearing completely, had to be pulled out by
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 367
means of the Alpine rope. * Lashly says the crevasse
was 50 feet deep and 8 feet across, in form U, showing
that the word " unfathomable " can rarely be applied.
Lashly is 44 to-day and as hard as nails. His fall has
not even disturbed his equanimity. 5
When, however, they had reached the top of the
crevasse ridge a better surface was found, and their
Christmas lunch at which they had such luxuries as
chocolate and raisins was all the more enjoyable
because 8 miles or so had already been gained.
In the middle of the afternoon they got a fine view
of the land, but more trouble was caused by crevasses,
until towards the end of their march they got free
of them and on to a slight decline down which they
progressed at a swinging pace. Then they camped and
prepared for their great Christmas meal. ' I must/
Scott says, l write a word of our supper last night.
We had four courses. The first, pemmican, full whack,
with slices of horse meat flavoured with onion and
curry powder, and thickened with biscuit; then an
arrowroot, cocoa and biscuit hoosh sweetened; then a
plum-pudding; then cocoa with raisins, and finally a
dessert of caramels and ginger. After the feast it
was difficult to move. Wilson and I couldn't finish
our share of plum-pudding. We have all slept splen-
didly and feel thoroughly warm such is the effect of
full feeding/
The advance, possibly owing to the ' tightener * on
Christmas night, was a little slow on the following
morning, but nevertheless 15 miles were covered
368 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
in the day and the 86th parallel was reached. Cre-
vasses still appeared, and though they avoided them on
this march, they were not so lucky during the next
stage to Camp 49.
In fact Wednesday, December 27, was unfortunate
owing to several reasons. To begin with, Bowers
broke the only hypsometer thermometer, and so they
were left with nothing to check their two aneroids.
Then during the first part of the march they got among
sastrugi which jerked the sledges about, and so tired
out the second team that they had great difficulty
in keeping up. And, finally, they found more cre-
vasses and disturbances during the afternoon. For an
hour the work was as painful as it could be, because
they tumbled into the crevasses and got the most
painful jerks. ' Steering the party/ Scott wrote at
Camp 49, ' is no light task. One cannot allow one's
thoughts to wander as others do, and when, as this
afternoon, one gets amongst disturbances, I find it
very worrying and tiring. I do trust we shall have
no more of them. We have not lost sight of the sun
since we came on the summit; we should get an ex-
traordinary record of sunshine. It is monotonous
work this; the sledgemeter and theodolite govern the
situation.'
During the next morning the second sledge made
such ' heavy weather * that Scott changed places with
E, R. Evans. That, however, did not improve matters
much, for Scott soon found that the second team had
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 369
not the same swing as his own team, so he changed
Lashly for P.O. Evans, and then they seemed to get
on better. At lunch-time they discussed the difficulties
that the second party was having, and several reasons
for them were put forward. One was that the team
was stale, another that all the trouble was due to bad
stepping and want of swing, and yet another was that
the first's party's sledge pulled much more easily than
the second party's.
On the chance that this last suggestion was correct,
Scott and his original team took the second party's
sledge in the afternoon, and soon found that it was a
terrible drag to get it along in soft snow, whereas
the second party found no difficulty in pulling the
sledge that had been given to them. ' So the sledge
is the cause of the trouble, and taking it out, I found
that all is due to want of care. The runners ran
excellently, but the structure has been distorted by
bad strapping, bad loading, &c. The party are not
done, and I have told them plainly that they must
wrestle with the trouble and get it right for them-
selves.'
Friday evening found them at Camp 51, and at a
height of about 9,000 feet. But they had encountered
a very bad surface, on which the strain of pulling
was terrific. The hardest work occurred on two rises,
because the loose snow had been blown over the rises
and had rested on the north-facing slopes, and these
heaps were responsible for the worst of their troubles.
However, there was one satisfactory result of the
370 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
march, for now that the second party had seen to
the loading of their sledge they had ceased to lag.
But the next stage was so exhausting that Scott's
fears for the conditions of the second party again
arose. Writing from Camp 52, on December 30, he
says : ' To-morrow Fm going to march half a day,
make a depot and build the xo-foot sledges. The
second party is certainly tiring; it remains to be seen
how they will manage with the smaller sledge and
lighter load. The surface is certainly much worse
than it was 50 miles back. (T. io.) We have
caught up Shackleton's dates. Everything would be
cheerful if I could persuade myself that the second
party were quite fit to go forward.'
Camp was pitched after the morning's march on
December 31, and the process of building up the 10-
foot sledges was at once begun by P.O. Evans and
Crean. * It is a very remarkable piece of work. Cer-
tainly P.O. Evans is the most invaluable asset to our
party. To build a sledge under these conditions is a
fact for special record/
Half a day was lost while the sledges were made,
but this they hoped to make up for by advancing at
much greater speed. A depot, called * Three Degree
Depot/ consisting of a week's provision for both units,
was made at this camp, and on New Year's morning,
with lighter loads, Evans' party led the advance on
foot, while Scott's team followed on ski. With a stick
of chocolate to celebrate the New Year, and with
only 170 miles between them and the Pole, prospects
ON THE BEARDMORE GLACIER 371
seemed to be getting brighter on New Year's night,
and on the next evening at Camp 55 Scott decided that
E. R. Evans, Lashly and Crean should go back after
one more march.
Writing from Camp 56 he says, t They are disap-
pointed, but take it well. Bowers is to come into our
tent, and we proceed as a five-man unit to-morrow.
We have 5% units of food practically over a month's
allowance for five people it ought to see us through.
. . . Very anxious to see how we shall manage to-
morrow; if we can march well with the full load we
shall be practically safe, I take it.'
By the returning party Scott sent back a letter,
dated January 3, in which he wrote, ' Lat. 87 32".' A
last note from a hopeful position. I think it's going to
be all right. We have a fine party going forward and
arrangements are all going well.'
On the next morning the returning men followed a
little way until Scott was certain that his team could
get along, and then farewells were said. In referring
to this parting with E. Evans, Crean and Lashly,
Scott wrote, ' I was glad to find their sledge is a mere
nothing to them, and thus, no doubt, they will make
a quick journey back/ and under average conditions
they should easily have fulfilled anticipations. But a
blizzard held them up for three days before they
reached the head of the glacier, and by the time they
reached the foot of it E. Evans had developed symp-
toms of scurvy. At One Ton Camp he was unable to
stand without the support of his ski sticks, and al-
372 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
though, with the help of his companions, he struggled
on for 53 more miles in four days, he could go no far-
ther. Rejecting his suggestion that he should be left
alone while they pressed on for help, Crean and Lashly
pulled him on the sledge with a devotion matching
that of their captain years before, when he and Wilson
had brought Shackleton, ill and helpless, safely to the
Discovery.
After four days of this pulling they reached Corner
Camp, and then there was such a heavy snowfall that
the sledge could not travel. In this crisis Crean set out
to tramp alone to Hut Point, 34 miles away, while
Lashly stayed to nurse E. Evans, and most certainly
was the means of keeping him alive until help came.
After a remarkable march of 18 hours Crean reached
Hut Point, and as soon as possible Atkinson and
Demetri started off with both dog teams to relieve
Evans and Lashly. Some delay was caused by per-
sistent bad weather, but on February 22 Evans was
got back to the Discovery hut, where he was unremit-
tingly tended by Atkinson; and subsequently he was
sent by sledge to the Terra Nova. So ended the tale
of the last supporting party, though, as a sequel, it is
good to record that in reward for their gallant conduct
both Lashly and Crean received the Albert Medal
CHAPTER IX
THE SOUTH POLE
The Silence was deep with a breath like sleep
As o'ar sledge runners slid on the snow,
And the fate-full fall of our fur-clad feet
Struck mute like a silent blow
On a questioning ' Hush ? ' as the settling crust
Shrank shivering over the floe.
And the sledge In its track sent a whisper back
Which was lost in a white fog-bow.
And this was the thought that the Silence wrought,
As it scorched and froze us through,
For the secrets hidden are all forbidden
Till God means man to know.
We might be the men God meant should know
The heart of the Barrier snow,
In the heat of the sun, and the glow,
And the glare from the glistening floe,
As it scorched and froze us through and through
With the bite of the drifting snow.
(These verses, called 'The Barrier Silence/ were written by
Wilson for the South Polar Times* Characteristically, he sent
them in typewritten, lest the editor should recognize his hand
and judge them on personal rather than literary grounds. Many
of their readers confess that they felt in these lines Wilson's
own premonition of the event. The version given is the final
form, as it appeared in the South Polar Times.)
THE ages of the five men when they continued the
journey to the Pole were: Scott 43, Wilson 39, P*O.
Evans 37, Gates 32, Bowers 28.
373
374 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
After the departure of the last supporting party
Scott was naturally anxious to get off a good day's
march, and he was not disappointed. At first the
sledge on which, thanks to P.O. Evans, everything was
most neatly stowed away, went easily. But during
the afternoon they had to do some heavy pulling on a
surface covered with loose sandy snow. Nevertheless
they covered some 15 miles before they camped, and so
smoothly did everything seem to be going that Scott
began to wonder what was in store for them. ' One
can scarcely believe that obstacles will not present
themselves to make our task more difficult. Perhaps
the surface will be the element to trouble us/
And on the following day his supposition began to
prove correct, for a light wind from the N.N.W.
brought detached cloud and a constant fall of ice
crystals, and in consequence the surface was as bad as
it could be. The sastrugi seemed to increase as they
advanced, and late in the afternoon they encountered
a very rough surface with evidences of hard southerly
wind. Luckily the sledge showed no signs of capsizing,
but the strain of trying to keep up a rate of a little
over a mile and a quarter an hour was very great.
However, they were cheered by the thought, when they
reached Camp 58 (height 10,320 feet), that they were
very close to the 88th parallel, and a little more than
1 20 miles from the Pole.
Another dreadful surface was their fate during the
next march on Saturday, January 6. The sastrugi
Increased in height as they advanced, and presently
THE SOUTH POLE 375
they found themselves in the midst of a sea of fish-
hook waves, well remembered from their Northern ex-
perience. And, to add to their trouble, each sastrugus
was covered with a beard of sharp branching crystals.
They took off their ski and pulled on foot, but both
morning and afternoon the work of getting the sledge
along was tremendous. Writing at Camp 59, Latitude
88 7', Scott said, ' We think of leaving our ski here,
mainly because of risk of breakage. Over the sastrugi
it is all up and down hill, and the covering of ice crys-
tals prevents the sledge from gliding even on the down-
grade. The sastrugi, I fear, have come to stay, and
we must be prepared for heavy marching, but in two
days I hope to lighten loads with a depot. We are
south of Shackleton's last camp, so, I suppose, have
made the most aoutherly camp/
During the next day, January 7, they had good
cause to think that the vicissitudes of their work were
bewildering. On account of the sastrugi the ski were
left at Camp 59, but they had only marched a mile
from it when the sastrugi disappeared. ' I kept debat-
ing the ski question and at this point stopped, and
after discussion we went back and fetched the ski;
it cost us i l /2 hours nearly. Marching again, I found
to my horror we could scarcely move the sledge on ski ;
the first hour was awful owing to the wretched coat-
ing of loose sanely snow/ Consequently this march
was the shortest they had made on the summit, and
there was no doubt that if things remained for long
as they were, it would be impossible to keep up the
376 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
strain of such strenuous pulling. Luckily, however,
loads were to be lightened on the following day by a
weight of about 100 Ibs., and there was also hope of
a better surface if only the crystal deposit would either
harden up or disappear. Their food, too, was proving
ample. ' What luck to have hit on such an excellent
ration. We really are an excellently found party/
Indeed, apart from the strain of pulling, Scott's only
anxiety on Sunday, January 7, was that Evans had a
nasty cut on his hand.
They woke the next morning to find their first
summit blizzard; but Scott was not in the least per-
turbed by this delay, because he thought that the rest
would give Evans' hand a better chance of recovery,
and he also felt that a day in their comfortable bags
within their double-walled tent would do none of them
any harm. But, both on account of lost time and food
and the slow accumulation of ice, he did not want more
than one day's delay.
e It is quite impossible/ he wrote during this time
of waiting, 'to speak too highly of my companions.
Each fulfils his office to the party; Wilson, first as
doctor, ever on the lookout to alleviate the small pains
and troubles incidental to the work; now as cook,
quick, careful and dexterous, ever thinking of some
fresh expedient to help the camp life; tough as steel
on the traces, never wavering from start to finish.
' Evans, a giant worker with a really remarkable
head-piece. It is only now I realise how much has been
due to him. Our ski shoes and crampons have been
THE SOUTH POLE 377
absolutely indispensable, and if the original ideas were
not his, the details of manufacture and design and the
good workmanship are his alone. He is responsible for
every sledge, every sledge fitting, tents, sleeping-bags,
harness, and when one cannot recall a single expres-
sion of dissatisfaction with any one of these items, it
shows what an invaluable assistant he has been. Now,
besides superintending the putting up of the tent, he
thinks out and arranges the packing of the sledge; it
is extraordinary how neatly and handily everything
is stowed, and how much study has been given to
preserving the suppleness and good running qualities
of the machine. On the Barrier, before the ponies
were killed, he was ever roaming round, correcting
faults of stowage.
* Little Bowers remains a marvel he is thoroughly
enjoying himself. I leave all the provision arrange-
ment in his hands, and at all times he knows exactly
how we stand, or how each returning party should
fare. It has been a complicated business to redistribute
stores at various stages of reorganisation, but not one
single mistake has been made. In addition to the
stores, he keeps the most thorough and conscientious
meteorological record, and to this he now adds the duty
of observer and photographer. Nothing comes amiss
to him, and no work is too hard. It is a difficulty to
get him into the tent; he seems quite oblivious of
the cold, and he lies coiled in his bag writing and
working out sights long after the others are asleep.
' Of these three it is a matter for thought and
378 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
congratulation that each Is specially suited for his
own work, but would not be capable of doing that of
the others as well as it is done. Each is invaluable.
Oates had his invaluable period with the ponies; now
he is a foot slogger and goes hard the whole time, does
his share of camp work, and stands the hardships as
well as any of us. I would not like to be without him
either. So our five people are perhaps as happily
selected as it is possible to imagine.'
Not until after lunch on the 9th were they able
to break camp, the light being extremely bad when
they marched, but the surface good. So that they
might keep up the average length of their daily marches
Scott wanted to leave a depot, but as the blizzard
tended to drift up their tracks, he was not altogether
confident that to leave stores on such a great plain was
a wise proceeding. However, after a terribly hard
march on the following morning, they decided to leave
a depot at the lunch camp, and there they built a cairn
and left one week's food with as many articles of
clothing as they could possibly spare.
Then they went forward with eighteen days 7 food
on a surface that was ' beyond words/ for it was
covered with sandy snow, and, when the sun shone,
even to move the sledge forward at the slowest pace
was distressingly difficult. On that night from
Camp 62, Scott wrote, 'Only 85 miles (geog.) from
the Pole, but it's going to be a stiff pull both ways
apparently; still we do make progress, which is some-
thing. ... It is very difficult to imagine what is
THE SOUTH POLE 379
happening to the weather. , . . The clouds don't seem
to come from anywhere, form and disperse without
visible reason. . . . The meteorological conditions
seem to point to an area of variable light winds, and
that plot will thicken as we advance/
From the very beginning of the march on Janu-
ary 1 1 the pulling was heavy, but when the sun came
out the surface became as bad as bad could be. All
the time the sledge rasped and creaked, and the work
of moving it onward was agonising. At lunch-time
they had managed to cover six miles but at fearful
cost to themselves, and although when they camped
for the night they were only about 74 miles from the
Pole, Scott asked himself whether they could possibly
keep up such a strain for seven more days. ' It takes
it out of us like anything. None of us ever had such
hard work before. . . , Our chance still holds good if
we can put the work in, but it's a terribly trying time/
For a few minutes during the next afternoon they
experienced the almost forgotten delight of having the
sledge following easily. The experience was very
short but it was also very sweet, for Scott had begun
to fear that their powers of pulling were rapidly
weakening, and those few minutes showed him that
they only wanted a good surface to get on as merrily
as of old. At night they were within 63 miles of the
Pole, and just longing for a better surface to help them
on their way.
But whatever the condition of the surface, Bowers
continued to do his work with characteristic thorough-
380 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
ness and imperturbability; and after this appalling
march he insisted, in spite of Scott's protest, on taking
sights after they had camped an all the more remark-
able display of energy as he, being the only one of the
party who pulled on foot, had spent an even more
strenuous day than the others, who had been ' com-
paratively restful on ski/
Again, on the next march, they had to pull with
all their might to cover some 1 1 miles. * It is
wearisome work this tugging and straining to advance
a light sledge. Still, we get along. I did manage
to get my thoughts off the work for a time to-day,
which is very restful. We should be in a poor way
without our ski, though Bowers manages to struggle
through the soft snow without tiring his short legs/
Sunday night, January 14, found them at Camp 66
and less than 40 miles from the Pole. Steering was
the great difficulty on this march, because a light south-
erly wind with very low drift often prevented Scott
from seeing anything, and Bowers, in Scott's shadow,
gave directions. By this time the feet of the whole
party were beginning, mainly owing to the bad condi-
tion of their finnesko, to suffer from the cold, ' Oates
seems to be feeling the cold and fatigue more than the
rest of us, but we are all very fit. It is a critical time,
but we ought to pull through. . . Oh! for a few
fine days ! So close it seems and only the weather to
baulk us/
Another terrible surface awaited them on the
morrow, and they were all * pretty well done ' when
THE SOUTH POLE 381
they camped for lunch. There they decided to leave
their last depot, but although their reduced load was
now very light, Scott feared that the friction would
not be greatly reduced. A pleasant surprise, however,
was in store for him, as after lunch the sledge ran
very lightly, and a capital march was made. ' It
is wonderful,' he wrote on that night (January 15),
* to think that two long marches would land us at the
Pole. We left our depot to-day with nine days' pro-
visions, so that it ought to be a certain thing
now, and the only appalling possibility the sight of
the Norwegian flag forestalling ours. Little Bowers
continues his indefatigable efforts to get good sights,
and it is wonderful how he works them up in his
sleeping-bag in our congested tent. Only 27 miles
from the Pole. We ought to do it now.'
The next morning's march took them 7^2 miles
nearer and their noon sight showed them in Lat 89
42' S. ; and feeling that the following day would see
them at the Pole they started off after lunch in the best
of spirits. Then, after advancing for an hour or so,
Bowers' sharp eyes detected what he thought was a
cairn, but although he was uneasy about it he argued
that it must be a sastrugus.
' Half an hour later he detected a black speck
ahead. Soon we knew that this could not be a natural
snow feature. We marched on, found that it was a
black flag tied to a sledge bearer ; near by the remains
of a camp; sledge tracks and ski tracks going and
coming and the clear trace of dogs' paws many dogs.
382 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
This told us the whole story. The Norwegians have
forestalled us and are first at the Pole. It is a terrible
disappointment, and I am very sorry for my loyal
companions. Many thoughts come and much discus-
sion have we had. To-morrow we must march on to
the Pole and then hasten home with all the speed we
can compass. All the day-dreams must go; it will be
a wearisome return. Certainly also the Norwegians
found an easy way up/
Very little sleep came to any of the party after
the shock of this discovery, and when they started
<at 7.30 on the next morning (January 17) head winds
with a temperature of 22 added to their depression
of spirit. For some way they followed the Norwegian
tracks, and in about three miles they passed two
cairns. Then, as the tracks became increasingly
drifted up and were obviously leading them too far
to the west, they decided to make straight for the
Pole according to their calculations. During the
march they covered about 14 miles, and at night
Scott wrote in his journal, * The Pole. Yes, but
under very different circumstances from those ex-
pected/
That announcement tells its own story, and it
would be impertinent to guess at the feelings of those
intrepid travellers when they found themselves fore-
stalled. Nevertheless they had achieved the purpose
they had set themselves, and the fact that they could
not claim the reward of priority makes not one jot of
difference in estimating the honours that belong to them.
THE SOUTH POLE 383
( Well/ Scott continued, ' it is something to have
got here, and the wind may be our friend to-morrow.
. . . Now for the run home and a desperate struggle.
I wonder if we can do it.'
On the following morning after summing up all their
observations, they came to the conclusion that they
were one mile beyond the Pole and three miles to the
right of it, in which direction, more or less, Bowers
could see a tent or cairn. A march of two miles from
their camp took them to the tent, in which they found
a record of five Norwegians having been there :
* Roald Amundsen
Olav Olavson Bjaaland
Hilmer Hanssen
Sverre H. Hassel
Oscar Wisting.
1 6 Dec. 1911.
6 The tent is fine a small compact affair supported
by a single bamboo. A note from Amundsen, which
I keep, asks me to forward a letter to King Haakon ! *
In the tent a medley of articles had been left : three
half bags of reindeer containing a miscellaneous as-
sortment of mits and sleeping-socks, very various in
description, a sextant, a Norwegian artificial horizon
and a hypsometer without boiling-point thermometers,
a sextant and hypsometer of English make. * Left a
note to say I had visited the tent with companions.
Bowers photographing and Wilson sketching. Since
lunch we have marched 6*2 miles S.S.E. by compass
(i.e. northwards). Sights at lunch gave us y 2 to $4
384 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
of a mile from the Pole, so we call it the Pole Camp.
(Temp. Lunch 21.) We built a cairn, put up our
poor slighted Union Jack, and photographed ourselves
mighty cold work all of it less than y% a mile south
we saw stuck up an old underrunner of a sledge. This
we commandeered as a yard for a floorcloth sail. I
imagine it was intended to mark the exact spot of the
Pole as near as the Norwegians could fix it. (Height
9,500.) A note attached talked of the tent as being
2 miles from the Pole. Wilson keeps the note. There
is no doubt that our predecessors have made thoroughly
sure of their mark and fully carried out their pro-
gramme. I think the Pole is about 9,500 feet in
height; this is remarkable, considering that in Lat 88
we were about 10,500.
* We carried the Union Jack about % of a mile
north with us and left it on a piece of stick as near
as we could fix it. I fancy the Norwegians arrived
at the Pole on the i5th Dec. and left on the i/th,
ahead of a date quoted by me in London as ideal, viz.
Dec. 22. ... Well, we have turned our back now on
the goal of our ambition and must face our 800 miles
of solid dragging and good-bye to most of the day-
dreams ! '
CHAPTER X
ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll;
I am the master of my fate,
I am the Captain of my soul. HENLEY.
DURING the afternoon of Thursday, January 18, they
left the Pole 7 miles behind them, and early in the
march on the following morning picked up their out-
ward tracks and a Norwegian cairn. These tracks
they followed until they carne to the black flag that had
been the first means of telling them of the Norwegians*
success. * We have picked this flag up, using the staff
for our sail, and are now camped about ij^ miles
further back on our tracks. So that is the last of the
Norwegians for the present.'
In spite of a surface that was absolutely spoilt by
crystals they marched i8j^ miles on the Friday, and
also easily found the cairns that they had built ; but until
they reached Three Degree Depot which was still 150
miles away, anxiety, Scott said, could not be laid to
rest.
On the next day they reached their Southern
385
386 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Depot and picked up four days' food. With the wind
behind them and with full sail they went along at a
splendid rate in the afternoon, until they were pulled up
by a surface on which drifting snow was lying in heaps ;
and then, with the snow clinging to the ski, pulling
became terribly distressing. ' I shall be very glad
when Bowers gets his ski/ Scott wrote at R. 3,* f I'm
afraid he must find these long marches very trying with
short legs, but he is an undefeated little sportsman. I
think Gates is feeling the cold and fatigue more than
most of us. It is blowing pretty hard to-night, but
with a good march we have earned one good hoosh and
are very comfortable in the tent. It is everything
now to keep up a good marching pace; I trust we
shall be able to do so and catch the ship. Total inarch,
18*4 miles.'
A stiff blizzard with thick snow awaited them on
the Sunday morning, but the weather cleared after
mid-day, and they struggled on for a few very weary
hours. At night they had 6 days' food in hand and
45 miles between them and their next depot, where
they had left 7 days' food to take them on the 90
miles to the Three Degree Depot. ' Once there we
ought to be safe, but we ought to have a day or two
in hand on arrival and may have difficulty with follow-
ing the tracks. However, if we can get a rating sight
for our watches to-morrow we should be independent
of the tracks at a pinch/
January 22 brought an added worry in the fact
1 A number preceded by R. marks the camps on the return
journey.
ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 387
that the ski boots were beginning to show signs of
wear, but this was nothing compared with the anxiety
Scott began to feel about Evans on the following day.
c There is no doubt that Evans is a good deal run down
his fingers are badly blistered and his nose is rather
seriously congested with frequent frost-bites. He
is very much annoyed with himself, which is not a
good sign. I think Wilson, Bowers and I are as fit
as possible under the circumstances. Oates gets cold
feet. . . . We are only about 13 miles from our
<c Degree and half " Depot and should get there to-
morrow. The weather seems to be breaking up.
Pray God we have something of a track to follow
to the Three Degree Depot once we pick that up we
ought to be right/
Another blizzard attacked them at mid-day on the
morrow, and so, though only seven miles from their
depot, they were obliged to camp, for it was im-
possible to see the tracks. With the prospect of bad
weather and scant food on the tremendous summit
journey in front of them, and with Oates and Evans
suffering badly from frost-bites, Scott had to admit
that the situation was going from bad to worse. But
on the next afternoon they managed to reach the Half
Degree Depot, and left with 9^/2 days* provision to
carry them the next 89 miles.
During Friday, January 26, they found their old
tracks completely wiped out, but knowing that there
were two cairns at four-mile intervals they were not
anxious until they picked up the first far on their
3 88 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
right, and afterwards Bowers caught a glimpse of the
second which was far on their left. ' There is not a
sign of our tracks between these cairns, but the last,
marking our night camp of the 6th, No. 59, is in the
belt of hard sastrugi, and I was comforted to see signs
of the track reappearing as we camped. I hope to
goodness we can follow it to-morrow/
Throughout the early part of the next day's march,
however, these hopes were not realised. Scott and
Wilson pulling in front on ski, the others being on
foot, found it very difficult to follow the track, which
constantly disappeared altogether and at the best could
only just be seen.
On the outward journey, owing to the heavy
mounds, they had been compelled to take a very zig-
zag course, and in consequence the difficulty of finding
signs of it was greatly increased. But by hook or
crook they succeeded in sticking to the old track, and
during the last part of the march they discovered, to
their joy and relief, that it was much easier to follow.
Through this march they were helped on their way
by a southerly breeze, and as the air was at last dry
again their tents and equipment began to lose the icy
state caused by the recent blizzards. On the other
hand, they were beginning to feel that more food, espe-
cially at lunch, was becoming more and more necessary,
and their sleeping-bags, although they managed to sleep
well enough in them, were slowly but steadily getting
wetter.
On Sunday night, at R. 11, they were only 43 miles
ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 389
from their depot with six days' food in hand, after
doing a good march of 16 miles. ' If this goes on
and the weather holds we shall get our depot without
trouble. I shall indeed be glad to get it on the sledge.
We are getting more hungry, there is no doubt. The
lunch meal is beginning to seem inadequate. We are
pretty thin, especially Evans, but none of us are feel-
ing worked out. I doubt if we could drag heavy loads,
but we can keep going with our light one. We talk
of food a good deal more, and shall be glad to open
out on it.'
With the wind helping greatly and with no difficulty
in finding the tracks, two splendid marches followed ;
but on the Tuesday their position had its serious as
well as its bright side, for Wilson strained a tendon
in his leg. ' It has/ Scott wrote, ' given pain all day
and is swollen to-night. Of course, he is full of pluck
over it, but I don't like the idea of such an accident
here. To add to the trouble Evans has dislodged two
finger-nails to-night; his hands are really bad, and to
my surprise he shows signs of losing heart over it.
He hasn't been cheerful since the accident. . . . We
can get along with bad fingers, but it [will be] a
mighty serious thing if Wilson's leg doesn't improve/
Before lunch on Wednesday, January 31, they
picked up the Three Degree Depot, and were able
slightly to increase their rations, though not until
they reached the pony food depot could they look for
a real feed/ After lunch (January 31) the surface,
owing to sandy crystals, was very bad, and with Wilson
390 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
walking by the sledge to rest his leg as much as possible,
pulling was even more toilsome work than usual.
During the afternoon they picked up Bowers' ski, which
he had left on December 31. ' The last thing we have
to find on the summit, thank Heaven ! Now we have
only to go north and so shall welcome strong winds/
Pulling on throughout the next day they reached
a lunch cairn, which had been made when they were
only a week out from the Upper Glacier Depot, With
eight days' food in hand Scott hoped that they would
easily reach it, for their increased food allowance was
having a good effect upon all of them, and Wilson's
leg was better. On the other hand, Evans was still a
cause for considerable anxiety.
All went very well during their march to R. 16
on February 2 until Scott, trying to keep the track
and his feet at the same time on a very slippery sur-
face, came ' an awful purler ' on his shoulder. ' It is
horribly sore to-night and another sick person added
to our tent three out of five injured, and the most
troublesome surfaces to come. We shall be lucky if
we get through without serious injury. . . . The extra
food is certainly helping us, but we are getting pretty
hungry. . . . It is time we were off the summit
Pray God another four days will see us pretty well
clear of it Our bags are getting very wet and we
ought to have more sleep.'
On leaving their sixteenth camp they were within
80 miles or so of the Upper Glacier Depot under Mount
Darwin, and after exasperating delays in searching for
ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 391
tracks and cairns, they resolved to waste no more time,
but to push due north just as fast as they could. Evans'
fingers were still very bad, and there was little hope
that he would be able for some time to help properly
with the work, and on the following day an accident
that entailed the most serious consequences happened.
'Just before lunch/ Scott wrote at R. 18, 'unex-
pectedly fell into crevasses, Evans and I together a
second fall for Evans, 1 and I camped. After lunch saw
disturbance ahead. . . We went on ski over hard
shiny descending surface. Did very well, especially
towards end of march, covering in all 18.1. . . . The
party is not improving in condition, especially Evans,
who is becoming rather dull and incapable. Thank
the Lord we have good food at each meal, but we get
hungrier in spite of it. Bowers is splendid, full of
energy and bustle all the time/
On Monday morning a capital advance of over 10
miles was made, but in the afternoon difficulties again
arose to harass them. Huge pressures and great street
crevasses partly open barred their way, and so they
had to steer more and more to the west on a very
erratic course. Camping-time found them still in a
very disturbed region, and although they were within
25 to 30 miles of their depot there seemed to be no way
through the disturbances that continued to block their
path. On turning out to continue their march they
went straight for Mount Darwin, but almost at once
1 Wilson afterwards expressed an opinion that Evans injured
his brain by one of these falls.
392 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
found themselves among huge open chasms. To avoid
these they turned northwards between two of them,
with the result that they got into chaotic disturbance.
Consequently they were compelled to retrace their steps
for a mile or so, and then striking to the west they
got among a confused sea of sastrugi, in the midst of
which they camped for lunch. A little better fortune
attended them in the afternoon, and at their twentieth
camp Scott estimated that they were anything from 10
to 15 miles off ihe Upper Glacier Depot. f Food is low
and weather uncertain/ he wrote, e so that many hours
of the day were anxious; but this evening (February
6), though we are not so far advanced as I expected,
the outlook is much more promising. Evans is the
chief anxiety now ; his cuts and wounds suppurate, his
nose looks very bad, and altogether he shows consider-
able signs of being played out Things may mend for
him on the Glacier, and his wounds get some respite
under warmer conditions. I am indeed glad to think
we shall so soon have done with plateau conditions. It
took us 27 days to reach the Pole and 21 days back
in all 48 days nearly 7 weeks in low temperature with
almost incessant wind/
February 7, which was to see the end of their
summit journey, opened with a very tiresome march
down slopes and over terraces covered with hard
sastrugi. However, they made fairly good progress
during the day, and between six and seven o'clock
their depot was sighted and soon afterwards they
were camped close to it. ' Well/ Scott wrote at R, 21,
ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 393
* we have come through our 7 weeks' ice camp jour-
ney and most of us are fit, but I think another week
might have had a very bad effect on P.O. Evans, who
is going steadily downhill/
On the next morning they started late owing to
various re-arrangements having to be made, and then
steered for Mt. Darwin to get specimens. As Wilson
was still unable to use his ski, Bowers went on and got
several specimens of much the same type a close-
grained granite rock which weathers red; and as soon
as Bowers had rejoined the party they skidded down-
hill fairly fast, Scott and Bowers (the leaders) being
on ski, Wilson and Oates on foot alongside the sledge,
while Evans was detached.
By lunch-time they were well down towards Mt.
Buckley, and decided to steer for the moraine under
the mountain. Having crossed some very irregular
steep slopes with big crevasses, they slid down towards
the rocks, and then they saw that the moraine was so
interesting that, after an advance of some miles
had brought escape from the wind, the decision
was made to camp and spend the rest of the day in
geologising.
' It has been extremely interesting. We found our-
selves under perpendicular cliffs of Beacon sandstone,
weathering rapidly and carrying veritable coal seams.
From the last Wilson, with his sharp eyes, has picked
several plant impressions, the last a piece of coal
with beautifully traced leaves in layers, also some
excellently preserved impressions of thick stems, show-
394 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
ing cellular structure. In one place we saw the
cast of small waves in the sand. To-night Bill has
got a specimen of limestone with archeo-cyathus the
trouble is one cannot imagine where the stone comes
from; it is evidently rare, as few specimens occur in
the moraine. There is a good deal of pure white
quartz. Altogether we have had a most interesting
afternoon, and the relief of being out of the wind and
in a warmer temperature is inexpressible. I hope and
trust we shall all buck up again now that the conditions
are more favourable. . . . A lot could be written on
the delight of setting foot on rock after 14 weeks of
snow and ice, and nearly 7 out of sight of aught else.
It is like going ashore after a sea voyage.'
On the following morning they kept along the edge
of the moraine to the end of Mt Buckley, and again
stopping to geologise, Wilson had a great find of vege-
table impression in a piece of limestone. The time
spent in collecting these geological specimens from the
Beardmore Glacier, and the labour endured in dragging
the additional 35 Ibs. to their last camp, were doubtless
a heavy price to pay; but great as the cost was they
were more than willing to pay it. The fossils con-
tained in these specimens, often so inconspicuous that
it is a wonder they were discovered by the collectors^
proved to be the most valuable obtained by the ex-
pedition, and promise to solve completely the ques-
tions of the age and past history of this portion of
the Antarctic continent. At night, after a difficult day
among bad ice pressures, Scott almost apologises for
ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 395
being too tired to write any geological notes, and as
the sledgemeter had been unshipped he could not tell
the distance they had traversed. 'Very warm on
march and we are all pretty tired. . . . Our food
satisfies now, but we must march to keep on the full
ration, and we want rest, yet we shall pull through all
right, D.V. We are by no means worn out/
On the night of Friday, February 10, they got some
of the sleep that was so urgently needed, and in con-
sequence there was a great change for the better in
the appearance of everyone. Their progress, however,
was delayed during the next afternoon by driving
snow, which made steering impossible and compelled
them to camp. ' We have two full days' food left/
Scott wrote on the same evening, * and though our
position is uncertain, we are certainly within two out-
ward marches from the middle glacier depot. How-
ever, if the weather doesn't clear by to-morrow, we
must either march blindly on or reduce food/
The conditions on Sunday morning were utterly
wretched for the surface was bad and the light hor-
rible, but they marched on until, with the light getting
worse and worse, they suddenly found themselves in
pressure. Then, unfortunately, they decided to steer
east, and after struggling on for several hours found
themselves in a regular trap. Having for a short time
in the earlier part of the day got on to a good sur-
face, they thought that all was going well and did
not reduce their lunch rations. But half an hour after
lunch they suddenly got into a terrible ice mess.
396 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
For three hours they plunged forward on ski, first
thinking that they were too much to the right, and
then too much to the left; meanwhile the disturbance
got worse and worse, and there were moments when
Scott nearly despaired of finding a way out of the
awful turmoil in which they found themselves. At
length, arguing that there must be a way out on the
left, they plunged in that direction, only to find that
the surface was more icy and crevassed.
e We could not manage our ski and pulled on foot,
falling into crevasses every minute most luckily no
bad accident. At length we saw a smoother slope
towards the land, pushed for it, but knew it was a
woefully long way from us. The turmoil changed in
character, irregular crevassed surface giving way to
huge chasms, closely packed and most difficult to cross.
It was very heavy work, but we had grown desperate.
We won through at 10 P.M., and I write after 12 hours
on the march. I think we are on or about the right
track now, but we are still a good number of miles
from the depot, so we reduced rations to-night. We
had three pemmican meals left and decided to make
them into four. To-morrow's lunch must serve for
two if we clo not make big progress. It was a test of
our endurance on the march and our fitness with small
supper. We have come through well/
On leaving R. 25, early on Monday morning, every-
thing went well in the forenoon and a good march
was made over a fair surface. Two hours before
lunch they were cheered by the sight of their night
ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 397
camp of December 18 (the day after they had made
their depot), for this showed them that they were still
on the right track. In the afternoon, refreshed by tea,
they started off confidently expecting to reach their
depot, but by a most unfortunate chance they kept too
far to the left and arrived in a maze of crevasses and
fissures. Afterwards their course became very erratic,
and finally, at 9 P.M., they landed in the worst place
of all
' After discussion we decided to camp, and here we
are, after a very short supper and one meal only re-
maining in the food bag; the depot doubtful in locality.
We must get there to-morrow. Meanwhile we are
cheerful with an effort/
On that night, at Camp R. 26, Scott says that they
all slept well in spite of grave anxieties, his own being
increased by his visits outside the tent, when he saw
the sky closing over and snow beginning to fall.
At their ordinary hour for getting up the weather was
so thick that they had to remain in their sleeping-
bags; but presently the weather cleared enough for
Scott dimly to see the land of the Cloudmaker.
Then they got up and after breakfasting off some tea
and one biscuit, so that they might leave their scanty
remaining meal for even greater emergencies, they
started to march through an awful turmoil of
broken ice. In about an hour, however, they hit
upon an old moraine track where the surface was
much smoother, though the fog that was still
hanging over everything added to their difficulties.
398 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Presently Evans raised their hopes with a shout of
depot ahead, but it proved to be nothing but a shadow
on the ice, and then Wilson suddenly saw the actual
depot flag. ' It was an immense relief, and we were
soon in possession of our 3^2 days 7 food. The relief to
all is inexpressible; needless to say, we camped and
had a meal/
Marching on in the afternoon Scott kept more to
the left, and closed the mountain until they came to
the stone moraines, where Wilson detached himself
and made a collection, while the others advanced
with the sledge. Writing that night (Tuesday,
February 13) at 'Camp R. 27, beside Cloudmaker J
Scott says, ' We camped late, abreast the lower end
of the mountain, and had nearly our usual satis-
fying supper. Yesterday was the worst experience
of the trip and gave a horrid feeling of insecurity.
Now we are right, but we must march. In future
food must be worked so that we do not run so short
if the weather fails us. We mustn't get into a hole
like this again. . . . Bowers has had a very bad
attack of snow-blindness, and Wilson another al-
most as bad. Evans has no power to assist with
camping work/
A good march followed to Camp R. 28, and with
nearly three days' food they were about 30 miles away
from the Lower Glacier Depot. On the other hand,
Scott was becoming most gravely concerned about
the condition of the party, and especially about
Evans, who seemed to be going from bad to worse.
ON THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 399
And on the next evening, after a heavy march he
wrote, ' We don't know our distance from the depot,
but imagine about 20 miles. We are pulling for food
and not very strong evidently. . . . We have reduced
food, also sleep; feeling rather done. Trust i l / 2 days
or 2 at most will see us at depot/
Friday's march brought them within 10 or 12 miles
of their depot, and with food enough to last them
until the next night; but anxiety about Evans was
growing more and more intense. * Evans has nearly
broken down in brain, we think. He is absolutely
changed from his normal self-reliant self. This
morning and this afternoon he stopped the march on
some trivial excuse. . . . Memory should hold the
events of a very troublesome march with more troubles
ahead. Perhaps all will be well if we can get to our
depot to-morrow fairly early, but it is anxious work
with the sick man/
On the following morning (Saturday, February 17)
Evans looked a little better after a good sleep, and
declared, as he always did, that he was quite well;
but half an hour after he had started in his place on
the traces, he worked his ski shoes adrift and had to
leave the sledge. At the time the surface was awful,
the soft snow, which had recently fallen, clogging the
ski and runners at every step, the sledge groaning,
the sky overcast, and the land hazy. They stopped
for about an hour, and then Evans came up again,
but very slowly. Half an hour later he dropped out
again on the same plea, and asked Bowers to lend
400 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
him a piece of string. Scott cautioned him to come
on as quickly as he could, and he gave what seemed to
be a cheerful answer. Then the others were compelled
to push on, until abreast the Monument Rock they
halted and, seeing Evans a long way behind, decided to
camp for lunch.
At first there was no alarm, but when they looked
out after lunch and saw him still afar off they were
thoroughly frightened, and all four of them started
back on ski. Scott was the first to meet the poor
man, who was on his knees with hands uncovered
and frost-bitten and a wild look in his eyes. When
asked what was the matter, he replied slowly that he
didn't know, but thought that he must have fainted.
They managed to get him on his feet, but after
two or three steps he sank down again and showed
every sign of complete collapse. Then Scott, Wilson
and Bowers hastened back for the sledge, while Oates
remained with him.
f When we returned he was practically unconscious,
and when we got him into the tent quite comatose.
He died quietly at 12.30 A.M.'
CHAPTER XI
THE LAST MARCH
Men like a man who has shown himself a pleasant companion
through a week's walking tour. They worship the man who,
over thousands of miles, for hundreds of days, through renewed
difficulties and efforts, has brought them without friction, ar-
rogance or dishonour to the victory proposed, or to the higher
glory of unshaken defeat. R. KIPLING.
AFTER this terrible experience the rest of the party
marched on later in the night, and arrived at their
depot; there they allowed themselves five hours' sleep
and then marched to Shambles Camp, which they
reached at 3 P.M. on Sunday, February 18. Plenty
of horse meat awaited them, with the prospect of
plenty to come if they could only keep up good marches.
' New life seems to come with greater food al-
most immediately, but I am anxious about the Barrier
surfaces/
A late start was made from Shambles Carnp, because
much work had to be done in shifting sledges 1 and
fitting up the new one with a mast, &c., and in packing
* Sledges were left at the chief depots to replace damaged one.s,
401
402 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
horse meat and personal effects. Soon after noon,
however, they got away, and found the surface every
bit as bad as they expected. Moreover Scott's fears
that there would not be much change during the
next few days were most thoroughly justified. On
the Monday afternoon they had to pull over a really
terrible surface that resembled desert sand. And
the same conditions awaited them on the following
day, when, after four hours' plodding in the morning,
they reached Desolation Camp. At this camp they
had hoped to find more pony meat, but disappointment
awaited them. ( Total mileage for day 7,* Scott
wrote at R. 34, 6 the ski tracks pretty plain and easily
followed this afternoon. . . . Terribly slow progress,
but we hope for better things as we clear the land.
. . . Pray God we get better travelling as we are not
so fit as we were, and the season is advancing
apace/
Again, on Wednesday, February 21, the surface
was terrible, and once more Scott expressed a devout
hope that as they drew away from the land the con-
ditions might get better; and that this improvement
should come and come soon was all the more necessary
because they were approaching a critical part ol t*uoir
journey, in which there were long distances between
the cairns. f If we can tide that over we get on the
regular cairn route, and with luck should stick to it;
but everything depends on the weather. We never
won a march of 8$4 miles with greater difficulty, but
we can't go on like this/
THE LAST MARCH 403
Very fresh wind from the S.E., with strong surface
drift, so completely wiped out the faint track they
were trying to follow during the next stage of their
struggle homewards, that lunch-time came without a
sight of the cairn they had hoped to pass. Later in
the day Bowers, feeling sure that they were too far
to the west, steered out, with the result that another
pony camp was passed by unseen. ' There is little
doubt we are in for a rotten critical time going home,
and the lateness of the season may make it really
serious. . . . Looking at the map to-night there is no
doubt we are too far to the east. With clear weather
we ought to be able to correct the mistake, but will the
weather clear ? It's a gloomy position, more especially
as one sees the same difficulty recurring even when we
have corrected this error. The wind is dying down
to-night and the sky clearing in the south, which
is hopeful. Meanwhile it is satisfactory to note that
such untoward events fail to damp the spirit of the
party/
The hopes of better weather were realised during
the following day, when they started off in sunshine
and with very little wind. Difficulties as to their
u'Mrse remained, but luckily Bowers took a round of
angles, and with the help of the chart they came to the
conclusion that they must be inside rather than
outside the tracks. The data, however, were so
meagre that none of them were happy about taking
the great responsibility of marching out. Then, just
as they had decided to lunch, Bowers' wonderfully
404 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
sharp eyes detected an old double lunch cairn, and
the theodolite telescope confirmed it. Camp R. 37
found them within 2]^ miles of their depot, ' We
cannot see it, but, given fine weather, we cannot miss
it. We are, therefore, extraordinarily relieved. , . ,
Things are again looking up, as we are on the regular
line of cairns, with no gaps right home, I hope/ In
the forenoon of Saturday, February 24, the depot was
reached, and there they found the store in order except
for a shortage of oil, ' Shall have to be very saving
with fuel.'
[Indeed from this time onward the party were in-
creasingly in want of more oil than they found at the
depots. Owing partly to the severe conditions, but
still more to the delays caused by their sick comrades,
they reached the full limit of time allowed for between
the depots. The cold was unexpected, and at the same
time the actual amount of oil found at the depots
was less than Scott anticipated.
The return journey on the summit was made at
good speed, for the party accomplished in 21 days what
had taken them 27 days on the outward journey.
But the last part of it, from Three Degree to Upper
Glacier Depot, took nearly eight marches as against
ten, and here can be seen the first slight slackening
as P.O. Evans and Gates began to feel the cold.
From the Upper Glacier to the Lower Glacier Depot
there was little gain on the outward journey, partly
owing to the conditions but more to Evans' gradual
collapse. And from that time onward the marches
THE LAST MARCH 405
of the weary but heroic travellers became shorter and
shorter.
As regards the cause of the shortage of oil, the
tins at the depots had been exposed to extreme con-
ditions of heat and cold. The oil in the warmth of
the sun for the tins were regularly set in an accessible
place on the top of the cairns tended to become
vapour and to escape through the stoppers without
damage to the tins. This process was much hastened
owing to the leather washers about the stoppers hav-
ing perished in the great cold.
The tins awaiting the Southern party at the depots
had, of course, been opened, so that the supporting
parties on their way back could take their due amount.
But however carefully the tins were re-stoppered, they
were still liable to the unexpected evaporation and
leakage, and hence, without the smallest doubt, arose
the shortage which was such a desperate blow to Scott
and his party,]
Apart from the storage of fuel everything was
found in order at the depot, and with ten full days'
provisions from the night of the 24th they had less
than 70 miles between them and the Mid-Barrier
depot. At lunch-time Scott wrote in a more hopeful
tone, It is an immense relief to have picked up this
depot, and, for the time, anxieties are thrust aside/
but at night, after pulling on a dreadful surface and
only gaining four miles, he added, * It really will be a
bad business if we are to have this plodding all through.
I don't know what to think, but the rapid closing
406 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
of the season is ominous. . . . It is a race between
the season and hard conditions and our fitness and
good food/
Their prospects, however, became a little brighter
during the following day, when the whole march
yielded 11.4 miles, 'The first double figures of steady
dragging for a long time/ But what they wanted and
what would not come was a wind to help them on their
way. Nevertheless, although the assistance they so
sorely needed was still lacking, they gained another
11^2 miles on their next march, and were within 43
miles of their next depot. Writing from ' R. 40.
Temp. 21 ' on Monday night, February 26, Scott
said, ' Wonderfully fine weather but cold, very cold.
Nothing dries and we get our feet cold too often.
We want more food yet, and especially more fat.
Fuel is woefully short. We can scarcely hope to get
a better surface at this season, but I wish we could
have some help from the wind, though it might shake
us up badly if the temp, didn't rise/
Tuesday brought them within 31 miles of their
depot, but hunger was attacking them fiercely, and
they could talk of little else except food and of when
and where they might possibly meet the dogs, * It
is a critical position. We may find ourselves in safety
at next depot, but there is a horrid element of doubt/
On the next day Scott decided to increase the ra-
tions, and at R. 42, which they reached after a march of
ii^ miles in a blightingly cold wind, they had a
* splendid pony hoosh/ The temperatures, however,
THE LAST MARCH 407
which varied at this time between 30 and 42,
were chilling them through and through, and to get
their foot-gear on in the mornings was both a painful
and a long task. * Frightfully cold starting/ Scott
wrote at lunch-time on Thursday, February 29, ( luck-
ily Bowers and Oates in their last new finnesko ; keep-
ing my old ones for the present. . . . Next camp is
our depot and it is exactly 13 miles. It ought not to
take more than i^> days ; we pray for another fine one.
The oil will just about spin out in that event, and
we arrive a clear day's food in hand/
On reaching the Middle Barrier Depot, however,
blow followed blow in such quick succession that hope
of pulling through began to sink in spite of all their
cheerfulness and courage. First they found such a
shortage of oil that with the most rigid economy it
could scarcely carry them on to their next depot, 71
miles away. Then Oates disclosed the fact that his
feet, evidently frost-bitten by the recent low temper-
atures, were very bad indeed. And lastly the wind,
which at first they had greeted with some joy, brought
dark overcast weather. During the Friday night the
temperature fell to below 40, and on the next
morning an hour and a half was spent before they
could get on their foot-gear. Then on an appalling sur-
face they lost both cairns and tracks, and at lunch
Scott had to admit that they were ' in a very queer
street since there is no doubt we cannot do the extra
marches and feel the cold horribly/
Afterwards they managed to pick up the track
408 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
again, and with a march of nearly 10 miles for the
day prospects brightened a little; but on the next
morning they had to labour upon a surface that was
coated with a thin layer of woolly crystals, which
were too firmly fixed to be removed by the wind and
caused impossible friction to the runners of the sledge.
' God help us/ Scott wrote at mid-day, * we can't keep
up this pulling, that is certain. Amongst ourselves
we are unendingly cheerful, but what each man feels
in his heart I can only guess. Putting on foot-gear
in the morning is getting slower and slower, there-
fore every day more dangerous. 3
No relief whatever to the critical situation came on
Monday, March 4, and there was in fact little left to
hope for except a strong drying wind, which at that
time of the year was not likely to come. At mid-day
they were about 42 miles from the next depot and had
a week's food; but in spite of the utmost economy
their oil could only last three or four days, and to pull
as they were doing and be short of food at the same
time was an absolute impossibility. For the time
being the temperature had risen to 20, but Scott
was sure that this small improvement was only tem-
porary and feared that Gates, at any rate, was in no
state to weather more severe cold than they were en-
during. And hanging over all the other misfortunes
was the constant fear that if they did get to the next
depot they might find the same shortage of oil. * I
don't know what I should do if Wilson and Bowers
weren't so determinedly cheerful over things/
THE LAST MARCH 409
And it must in all truth have been as difficult as
it was heroic to be cheerful, for weary and worn as
they were their food needed such careful husbanding,
that their supper on this night (March 4) consisted
of nothing but a cup of cocoa and pemmican solid
with the chill off. ( We pretend to prefer the pem-
mican this way/ Scott says, and if any proof was
needed of their indomitable resolution it is contained
in that short sentence. The result, however, was
telling rapidly upon all of them, and more especially
upon Gates, whose feet were in a terrible condition
when they started to march on the morning of the 5th.
Lunch-time saw them within 27 miles of their next
supply of food and fuel, but by this time poor Gates
was almost done.
* It is pathetic enough because we can do nothing
for him ; more hot food might do a little, but only a
little, I fear. We none of us expected these terribly
low temperatures, and of the rest of us Wilson is
feeling them most ; mainly, I fear, from his self-sacri-
ficing devotion in doctoring Gates' feet. We cannot
help each other, each has enough to do to take care of
himself. We get cold on the march when the trudging
is heavy, and the wind pierces our worn garments*
The others, all of 'them, are unendingly cheerful when
in the tent. We mean to see the game through with
a proper spirit, but it's tough work to be pulling harder
than we ever pulled in our lives for long hours, and
to feel that the progress is so slow. One can only say
" God help us ! " and plod on our weary way, cold and
410 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
very miserable, though outwardly cheerful. We talk
of all sorts of subjects in the tent, not much of food
now, since we decided to take the risk of running a
full ration. We simply couldn't go hungry at this time/
On the morning of the 6th Gates was no longer able
to pull, and the miles gained, when they camped for
lunch after desperate work, were only three and a
half, and the total distance for the day was short of
seven miles. For Gates, indeed, the crisis was near at
hand. * He makes no complaint, but his spirits only
come up in spurts now, and he grows more silent in
the tent. ... If we were all fit I should have hopes
of getting through, but the poor Soldier has become
a terrible hindrance, though he does his utmost and
suffers much I fear/ And at mid-day on the 7th,
Scott added, 'A little worse I fear. One of Oates'
feet very bad this morning; he is wonderfully brave.
We still talk of what we will do together at home.'
At this time they were 16 miles from their depot,
and if they found the looked- for amount of fuel and
food there, and if the surface helped them, Scott
hoped that they might get on to the Mt. Hooper Depot,
72 miles farther, but not to One Ton Camp. * We hope
against hope that the dogs have been to Mt. Hooper;
then we might pull through, . . . We are only kept
going by good food. No wind this morning till a chill
northerly air came ahead. Sun bright and cairns
showing up well. I should like to keep the track to
the end/
Another fearful struggle took them by lunch-time
THE LAST MARCH 4"
on the 8th to within 8y 2 miles of their next goal, but
the time spent over foot-gear in the mornings was get-
ting longer and longer. ' Have to wait in night foot-
gear for nearly an hour before I start changing, and
then am generally first to be ready. Wilson's feet giv-
ing trouble now, but this mainly because he gives so
much help to others. . . . The great question is, What
shall we find at the depot? If the dogs have visited
it we may get along a good distance, but if there is
another short allowance of fuel, God help us indeed.
We are in a very bad way, I fear, in any case/
On the following day they managed to struggle on
to Mount Hooper Depot. ' Cold comfort. Shortage
on our allowance all round. I don't know that anyone
is to blame. The dogs which would have been our
salvation have evidently failed/
[For the last six days Cherry-Garrard and Demetri
had been waiting with the dogs at One Ton Camp.
Scott had dated his probable return to Hut Point
anywhere between mid-March and early April, and
calculating from the speed of the other return parties
Atkinson expected him to reach One Ton Camp be-
tween March 3 and 10. There Cherry-Garrard met
four days of blizzard, with the result that when the
weather cleared he had little more than enough dog
food to take the teams home. Under these circum-
stances only two possible courses were open to him,
either to push south for one more march and back with
imminent risk of missing Scott on the way, or to stay
two days at the Camp where Scott was bound to come,
412 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
if he came at all. Wisely he took the latter course and
stayed at One Ton Camp until the utmost limit of time,]
With the depot reached and no relief to the situation
gained, Scott was forced to admit that things were
going * steadily downhill/ but for the time being
Oates' condition was by far the most absorbing trouble.
c Gates' foot worse/ he wrote on the loth. ' He has
rare pluck and must know that he can never get
through. He asked Wilson if he had a chance this
morning, and of course Bill had to say he didn't know.
In point of fact he has none. Apart from him, if he
went under now, I doubt whether we could get through.
With great care we might have a dog's chance, but no
more. . . . Poor chap! it is too pathetic to watch
him; one cannot but try to cheer him up/
On this same day a blizzard met them after they
had marched for half an hour, and Scott seeing that
not one of them could face such weather, pitched camp
and stayed there until the following morning. Then
they struggled on again with the sky so overcast that
they could see nothing and consequently lost the tracks,
At the most they gained little more than six miles
during the day, and this they knew was as much as they
could hope to do if they got no help from wind or
surfaces. ' We have 7 days' food and should be about
55 miles from One Ton Camp to-night, 6 X 7 == 42,
leaving us 13 miles short of our distance, even if things
get no worse/
Oates too was, Scott felt, getting very near the
end. ' What we or he will do, God only knows. We
THE LAST MARCH 413
discussed the matter after breakfast; he is a brave
fine fellow and understands the situation, but he
practically asked for advice. Nothing could be said
but to urge him to march as long as he could. One
satisfactory result to the discussion: I practically or-
dered Wilson to hand over the means of ending our
troubles to us, so that any of us may know how to
do so. Wilson had no choice between doing so and
our ransacking the medicine case/
Thus Scott wrote on the nth, and the next days
brought more and more misfortunes with them. A
strong northerly wind stopped them altogether on the
1 3th, and although on the following morning they
started with a favourable breeze, it soon shifted and
blew through their wind-clothes and their mits.
* Poor Wilson horribly cold, could not get off ski for
some time. Bowers and I practically made camp, and
when we got into the tent at last we were all deadly
cold. . . , We must go on, but now the making of
every camp must be more difficult and dangerous. It
must be near the end, but a pretty merciful end. . . .
I shudder to think what it will be like to-morrow.'
Up to this time, incredible as it seems, Scott had
only once spared himself the agony of writing in his
journal, so nothing could be more pathetic and signifi-
cant than the fact that at last he was unable any longer
to keep a daily record of this magnificent journey.
' Friday, March 16 or Saturday 17. Lost track
of dates, but think the last correct/ his next entry
begins, but then under the most unendurable condi-
414 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
tions he went on to pay a last and imperishable
tribute to his dead companion.
' Tragedy all along the line. At lunch, the day
before yesterday, poor Titus Gates said he couldn't
go on; he proposed we should leave him in his sleep-
ing-bag. That we could not do, and we induced him
to come on, on the afternoon march. In spite of its
awful nature for him he straggled on and we made
a few miles. At night he was worse and we knew
the end had come.
' Should this be found I want these facts recorded.
Gates' last thoughts were of his Mother, but im-
mediately before he took pride in thinking that his
regiment would be pleased with the bold way in
which he met his death. We can testify to his bravery.
He has borne intense suffering for weeks without
complaint, and to the very last was able and willing
to discuss outside subjects. He did not would not
give up hope till the very end. He was a brave soul.
This was the end. He slept through the night before
last, hoping not to wake ; but he woke in the morning
yesterday. It was blowing a blizzard. He said, " I am
just going outside and may be some time." He went
out into the blizzard and we have not seen him since.
f l take this opportunity of saying that we have
stuck to our sick companions to the last. In case
of Edgar Evans, when absolutely out of food and
he lay insensible, the safety of the remainder seemed
to demand his abandonment, but Providence merci-
fully removed him at this critical moment. He died
THE LAST MARCH 415
a natural death, and we did not leave him till two
hours after his death.
* We knew that poor Gates was walking to his
death, but though we tried to dissuade him, we knew
it was the act of a brave man and an English gentle-
man. We all hope to meet the end with a similar
spirit, and assuredly the end is not far.
* I can only write at lunch and then only occasion-
ally. The cold is intense, 40 at mid-day. My
companions are unendingly cheerful, but we are all
on the verge of serious frost-bites, and though we con-
stantly talk of fetching through I don't think any one
of us believes it in his heart.
1 We are cold on the march now, and at all times
except meals. Yesterday we had to lay up for a bliz-
zard and to-day we move dreadfully slowly. We
are at No. 14 pony camp, only two pony marches from
One Ton Depot. We leave here our theodolite, a
camera, and Gates' sleeping-bags. Diaries, etc., and
geological specimens carried at Wilson's special re-
quest, will be found with us or on our sledge.'
At mid-day on the next day, March 18, they had
struggled to within 21 miles of One Ton Depot, but
wind and drift came on and they had to stop their
march, s No human being could face it, and we are
worn out nearly.
' My right foot has gone, nearly all the toes two
days ago I was the proud possessor of best feet. These
are the steps of my downfall. Like an ass I mixed
a spoonful of curry powder with my melted petnmican
416 THE VQiYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
it gave me violent indigestion. I lay awake and
in pain all night ; woke and felt done on the march ;
foot went and I didn't know it. A very small measure
of neglect and have a foot which is not pleasant to
contemplate.
c Bowers takes first place in condition, but there
is not much to choose after all The others are still
confident of getting through or pretend to be I
don't know ! We have the last half fill of oil in our
primus and a very small quantity of spirit this alone
between us and thirst.'
On that night camp was made with the greatest
difficulty, but after a supper of cold pemmican and
biscuit and half a pannikin of cocoa, they were, con-
trary to their expectations, warm enough to get some
sleep.
Then came the closing stages of this glorious strug-
gle against persistent misfortune.
'March 19. Lunch. To-day we started in the
usual dragging manner. Sledge dreadfully heavy.
We are 1^/2 miles from the depot and ought to get
there in three days. What progress! We have two
days' food but barely a day's fuel. All our feet are
getting bad Wilson's best, my right foot worst, left
all right. There is no chance to nurse one's feet till
we can get hot food into us. Amputation is the least
I can hope for now, but will the trouble spread?
That is the serious question. The weather doesn't
give us a chance ; the wind from N. to N. W. and
40 temp, to-day.'
THE LAST MARCH 417
During the afternoon they drew 4^2 miles nearer
to the One Ton Depot, and there they made their
last camp. Throughout Tuesday a severe blizzard
held them prisoners, and on the 2ist Scott wrote:
'To-day forlorn hope, Wilson and Bowers going to
depot for fuel.'
But the blizzard continued without intermission.
' 22 and 23, Blizzard bad as ever Wilson and Bowers
unable to start to-morrow last chance no fuel and
only one or two of food left must be near the end.
Have decided it shall be natural we shall march for
the depot with or without our effects and die in our
tracks/
'March 29. Since the 2ist we have had a con-
tinuous gale from W.S.W, and S.W. We had fuel
to make two cups of tea apiece, and bare food for
two days on the 20th. Every day we have been
ready to start for our depot u miles away, but out-
side the cloor of the tent it remains a scene of whirling
drift. I do not think we can hope for any better
things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we
are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be
far.
1 It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write
more.
'R. SCOTT.
' Last entry
For God's sake look after our people/
418 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
After Cherry-Garrard and Demetri had returned
to Hut Point on March 16 without having seen any
signs of the Polar party, Atkinson and Keohane made
one more desperate effort to find them. When, how-
ever, this had been unsuccessful there was nothing
more to be done until the winter was over.
During this long and anxious time the leadership
of the party devolved upon Atkinson, who under the
most trying circumstances showed qualities that are
beyond all praise. At the earliest possible moment
(October 30) a large party started south. * On the
night of the nth and morning of the I2th/ Atkinson
says, ' after we had marched n miles due south of
One Ton, we found the tent. It was an object par-
tially snowed up and looking like a cairn. Before it
were the ski sticks and in front of them a bamboo
which probably was the mast of the sledge. . .
' Inside the tent were the bodies of Captain Scott,
Doctor Wilson, and Lieutenant Bowers. They had
pitched their tent well, and it had withstood all the
blizzards of an exceptionally hard winter/
Wilson and Bowers were found in the attitude of
sleep, their sleeping-bags closed over their heads as
they would naturally close them.
Scott died later. He had thrown back the flaps of
his sleeping-bag and opened his coat. The little wallet
IN MEMORIAM 419
containing the three notebooks was under his shoulders
and his arm flung across Wilson.
Among 1 their belongings were the 35 Ibs. of most
important geological specimens which had been col-
lected on the moraines of the Beardmore Glacier.
At Wilson's request they had clung on to these to the
very end, though disaster stared them in the face.
' When everything had been gathered up, we cov-
ered them with the outer tent and read the Burial
Service. From this time until well into the next
day we started to build a mighty cairn above them/
Upon the cairn a rough cross, made from two
skis, was placed, and on either side were up-ended
two sledges, fixed firmly in the snow. Between the
eastern sledge and the cairn a bamboo was placed,
containing a metal cylinder, and in this the following
record was left :
' November 12, 1912, Lat 79 degrees, 50 mins.
South. This cross and cairn are erected over the
bodies of Captain Scott, C.V.O., R.N., Doctor E. A.
Wilson, M.B, B.C., Cantab., and Lieutenant H. R.
Bowers, Royal Indian Marine a slight token to per-
petuate their successful and gallant attempt to reach
the Pole. This they did on January 17, 1912, after
the Norwegian Expedition had already done so. In-
clement weather with lack of fuel was the cause of
their death. Also to commemorate their two gallant
comrades, Captain L. E. G. Gates of the Inniskilling
Dragoons, who walked to his death in a blizzard to
420 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
save his comrades about eighteen miles south of this
position; also o Seaman Edgar Evans, who died at
the foot of the Beardmore Glacier.
' " The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away;
blessed be the name of the Lord." '
FAREWELL LETTERS 421
With the diaries in the tent were found the follow-
ing letters:
To Mrs. E. A. Wilson
MY DEAR MRS. WILSON,
If this letter reaches you Bill and I will have
gone out together. We are very near it now and I
should like you to know how splendid he was at the
end everlastingly cheerful and ready to sacrifice him-
self for others, never a word of blame to me for lead-
ing him into this mess. He is not suffering, luckily,
at least only minor discomforts.
His eyes have a comfortable blue look of hope and
his mind is peaceful with the satisfaction of his faith
in regarding himself as part of the great scheme of
the Almighty. I can clo no more to comfort you than
to tell you that he died as he lived, a brave, true man
the best of comrades and staunchest of friends.
My whole heart goes out to you in pity.
Yours,
R. SCOTT.
To Mrs. Bowers
MY DEAR MRS. BOWERS,
I am afraid this will reach you after one of
the heaviest blows of your life.
1 write when we are very near the end of our
journey, and I am finishing it in company with two gal-
lant, noble gentlemen. One of these is your son. He
422 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
had come be one of my closest and soundest friends,
and I appreciate his wonderful upright nature, his
ability and energy. As the troubles have thickened
his dauntless spirit ever shone brighter and he has
remained cheerful, hopeful, and indomitable to the end.
The ways of Providence are inscrutable, but there
must be some reason why such a young, vigorous and
promising* life is taken.
My whole heart goes out in pity for you.
Yours,
R. SCOTT.
To the end he has talked of you and his sisters.
One sees what a happy home he must have had and
perhaps it is well to look back on nothing but hap-
piness.
He remains unselfish, self-reliant and splendidly
hopeful to the end, believing in God's mercy to you.
To Sir /. M. Barrie
MY DEAR BARRIE,
We are pegging out in a very comfortless
spot Hoping this letter may be found and sent to you,
I write a word of farewell . . . More practically I
want you to help my widow and my boy your god-
son. We are showing that Englishmen can still die
with a bold spirit, fighting it out to the end. It will
be known that we have accomplished our object in
reaching the Pole, and that we have done everything
FAREWELL LETTERS 423
possible, even to sacrificing ourselves in order to save
sick companions. I think this makes an example for
Englishmen of the future, and that the country ought
to help those who are left behind to mourn us. I
leave my poor girl and your godson, Wilson leaves
a widow, and Edgar Evans also a widow in humble
circumstances. Do what you can to get their claims
recognised. Goodbye. I am not at all afraid of the
end, but sad to miss many a humble pleasure which
I had planned for the future on our long marches.
I may not have proved a great explorer, but we have
done the greatest march ever made and come very
near to great success. Goodbye, my dear friend.
Yours ever,
R. SCOTT.
We are in a desperate state, feet frozen, etc. No
fuel and a long way from food, but it would do your
heart good to be in our tent, to hear our songs and
the cheery conversation as to what we will do when
we get to Hut Point,
Later. We are very near the end, but have not and
will not lose our good cheer. We have four days of
storm in our tent and nowhere's food or fuel. We clicl
intend to finish ourselves when things proved like
this, but we have decided to die naturally in the track.
As a dying man, tny clear friend, be good to my wife
and child. Give the boy a chance in life if the State
won't do it. He ought to have good stuff in him. . .
I never met a man in my life whom I admired and
424 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
loved more than you, but I never could show you how
much your friendship meant to me, for you had much
to give and I nothing.
To the Right Hon. Sir Edgar Speyer, Bart.
Dated March 16, 1912. Lat. 79.5.
MY DEAR SIR EDGAR,
I hope this may reach you. I fear we must
go and that it leaves the Expedition in a bad muddle.
But we have been to the Pole and we shall die like
gentlemen. I regret only for the women we leave be-
hind.
I thank you a thousand times for your help and
support and your generous kindness. If this diary is
found it will show how we stuck by dying companions
and fought the thing out well to the end. I think this
will show that the spirit of pluck and the power to en-
dure has not passed out of our race. . . .
Wilson, the best fellow that ever stepped, has sacri-
fied himself again and again to the sick men of the
party. . . .
I write to many friends hoping the letters will reach
them some time after we are found next year.
We very nearly came through, and it's a pity to have
missed it, but lately I have felt that we have overshot
our mark. No one is to blame and I hope no attempt
will be made to suggest that we have lacked support.
Goodbye to you and your dear kind wife.
Yours ever sincerely,
R, SCOTT*
FAREWELL LETTERS 425
To Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Charles Bridgeman,
K.C.V.O., K.C.B.
MY DEAR SIR FRANCIS,
I fear we have slipped up; a close shave; I
am writing a few letters which I hope will be delivered
some day. I want to thank yon for the friendship
you gave me of late years, and to tell you how extraor-
dinarily pleasant I found it to serve under you. I
want to tell you that I was not too old for this job. It
was the younger men that went under first. . . . After
all we are setting a good example to our countrymen,
if not by getting into a tight place, by facing it like
men when we were there. We could have come
through had we neglected the sick.
Good-bye, and good-bye to dear Lady Bridgeman.
Yours ever,
R. SCOTT.
Excuse writing it is 40, and has been for nigh
a month.
To Vice-Admiral Sir George le Clerc Egerton, K.C.B.
MY DEAR SIR GEORGE^
I fear we have shot our bolt but we have
been to Pole and done the longest journey on record.
I hope these letters may find their destination some
day.
Subsidiary reasons for our failure to return are due
to the sickness of different members of the party, but
426 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
the real thing that has stopped us is the awful weather
and unexpected cold towards the end of the journey.
This traverse of the Barrier has been quite three
times as severe as any experience we had on the
summit.
There is no accounting for it, but the result has
thrown out my calculations, and here we are little
more than 100 miles from the base and petering out.
Good-bye. Please see my widow is looked after as
far as Admiralty is concerned.
R. SCOTT,
My kindest regards to Lady Egerton. I can never
forget all your kindness.
To Mr. /. /. Kinsey Christchurch*
March 24th, 1912.
MY DEAR KINSEY,
I'm afraid we are pretty well done four
days of blizzard just as we were getting to the last
depot. My thoughts have been with you often. You
have been a brick. You will pull the Expedition
through, I'm sure.
My thoughts are for my wife and boy. Will you
do what you can for them if the country won't.
I want the boy to have a good chance in the world,
but you know the circumstances well enough.
If I knew the wife and boy were in safe keeping
I should have little to regret in leaving the world, for
I feel that the country need not be ashamed of us *
FAREWELL LETTERS 427
our journey has been the biggest on record, and noth-
ing but the most exceptional hard luck at the end would
have caused us to fail to return. We have been to the
S. pole as we set out. God bless you and dear Mrs.
Kinsey. It is good to remember you and your kind-
ness.
Your friend,
R. SCOTT.
Letters to his Mother, his Wife, his Brother-in-
law (Sir William Ellison Macartney), Admiral Sir
Lewis Beaumont, and Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Smith
were also found, from which come the following ex-
tracts :
The Great God has called me and I feel it will add
a fearful blow to the heavy ones that have .fallen on
you in life. But take comfort in that I die at peace
with the world and myself not afraid.
Indeed it has been most singularly unfortunate, for
the risks I have taken never seemed excessive.
... I want to tell you that we have missed getting
through by a narrow margin which was justifiably
within the risk of such a journey. . . . After all, we
have given our lives for our country we have actually
made the longest journey on record, and we have been
the first Englishmen at the South Pole.
You must understand that it is too cold to write
much.
, . * It's a pity the luck doesn't come our way, be-
cause every detail of equipment is right.
428 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
I shall not have suffered any pain, but leave the
world fresh from harness and full of good health and
vigour. This is decided already when provisions
come to an end we simply stop unless we are within
easy distance of another depot. Therefore you must
not imagine a great tragedy. We are very anxious
of course, and have been for weeks, but our splendid
physical condition and our appetites compensate for
all discomfort.
Since writing the above we got to within n miles
of our depot, with one hot meal and two days' cold
food. We should have got through but have been
held for four days by a frightful storm. I think the
best chance has gone. We have decided not to kill
ourselves, but to fight to the last for that depot, but
in the fighting there is a painless end. So don't
worry. The inevitable must be faced. You urged
me to be leader of this party, and I know you felt
it would be dangerous.
Make the boy interested in natural history if you
can; it is better than games; they encourage it at
some schools. I know you will keep him in the open
air.
Above all, he must guard and you must guard him
against indolence. Make him a strenuous man. I had
to force myself into being strenuous as you know
had always an inclination to be idle.
There is a piece of the Union Jack I put up at the
South Pole in my private kit bag, together with
Amundsen's black flag and other trifles. Send a small
FAREWELL LETTERS 429
piece of the Union Jack to the King and a small piece
to Queen Alexandra.
What lots and lots I could tell you of this journey.
How much better has it been than lounging in too
great comfort at home. What tales you would have
for the boy. But what a price to pay.
Tell Sir Clements I thought much of him and never
regretted his putting me in command of the Discovery.
430 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC
THE causes of the disaster are not due to faulty or-
ganisation, but to misfortune In all risks which had to
be undertaken.
1. The loss of pony transport in March 1911
obliged me to start later than I had intended, and
obliged the limits of stuff transported to be narrowed.
2. The weather throughout the outward journey,
and especially the long gale in 83 S., stopped us.
3. The soft snow in lower reaches of glacier again
reduced pace.
We fought these untoward events with a will and
conquered, but it cut into our provision reserve.
Every detail of our food supplies, clothing and de-
pots made on the interior ice-sheet and over that long
stretch of 700 miles to the Pole and back, worked
out to perfection. The advance party would have
returned to the glacier in fine form and with surplus
of food, but for the astonishing failure of the man
whom we had least expected to fail. Edgar Evans
was thought the strongest man of the party.
The Beardmore Glacier is not difficult in fine
weather, but on our return we did not get a single
completely fine day ; this with a sick companion enorm-
ously increased our anxieties.
As T have said elsewhere we got Into frightfully
rough :e and Edgar Evans received a concussion of
MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC 431
the brain he died a natural death, but left us a
shaken party with the season unduly advanced.
But all the facts above enumerated were as nothing
to the surprise which awaited us on the Barrier. I
maintain that our arrangements for returning were
quite adequate, and that no one in the world would
have expected the temperatures and surfaces which
we encountered at this time of the year. On the sum-
mit in lat. 85, 86 we had 20, 30. On the Bar-
rier in lat. 82, 10,000 feet lower, we had 30 in
the day, 47 at night pretty regularly, with continu-
ous head wind during our day marches. It is clear
that these circumstances come on very suddenly, and
our wreck is certainly due to this sudden advent of
severe weather, which does not seem to have any satis-
factory cause. I do not think human beings ever
came through such a month as we have come through,
and we should have got through in .spite of the
weather but for the sickening of a second companion,
Captain Gates, and a shortage of fuel in our depots
for which I cannot account, and finally, but for the
storm which has fallen on us within n miles of the
depot at which we hoped to secure our final supplies.
Surely misfortune could scarcely have exceeded this
last blow. We arrived within 11 miles of our old
One Ton Camp with fuel for one last meal and food
for two days. For four days we have been unable
to leave the tent the gale howling about us. We
are weak, writing is difficult, but for my own sake
I do not regret this journey, which has shewn that
432 THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN SCOTT
Englishmen can endure hardships, help one another,
and meet death with as great a fortitude as ever in
the past. We took risks, we knew we took them;
things have come out against us, and therefore we
have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will
of Providence, determined still to do our best to the
last. But if we have been willing to give our lives
to this enterprise, which is for the honour of our
country, I appeal to our countrymen to see that those
who depend on us are properly cared for.
Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of
the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my com-
panions which would have stirred the heart of every
Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies
must tell the tale, but surely, surely, a great rich
country like ours will see that those who are dependent
on us are properly provided for.
R, SCOTT.
BBIXIBB ANTABCTIC
EXPEDITION \
1910-13.
TRACK CHART QF
MAIN SOUTHERN JOURNEY
INDEX
ABBOTT, George P., P.O., 209,
242, 260
Adelie Land, 35
Admiralty, the, 8, 18, 182-3,
200, 206
Alaska, n
Albemarle, H.M.S., 206
Albert Medal, the, 372
Alexandra, Queen, 31, 429
Alpine Rope, 256-7, 266, 274,
367
Amphion, H.M.S., n
Amundsen, Roald, 259-60, 301,
324, 346, 383, 428
Anton, Groom, 209, 276, 278,
280, 285, 289, 299
Archer, W. W. chief steward,
209
Armitage, Lieut. A. B., 25, 32,
43, 57, 63, 89, 97, 103, 105,
138, 153-4, 176, 178
Arnold, M., quoted, 151, 178
Arrival Bay, 60
Heights, 60, 234
Athletic sports, 137-8
Atkinson, Edward L., surgeon,
R.N., parasitologist, 208,
213, 224, 236, 243, 246, 259,
201, 207, 27O, 273, 279-8O,
284, 285-6, 295 seq., 308,
319, 320-1, 327, 3^9, 330,
336, 340, 344, 354-5, 3^2-3,
372, 411, 410-19
Auckland Islands, 195
Australia, Government of, 207
BALACLAVA helmets, 251
Balfour, Rt. Hon. A. J,, 16
Balleny, Capt. John, 197
Islands, 196-7
Balloons, ascents of, 57, 281
Barne, Lieut. Michael, 26, 32,
43, 53, 6 1 seq., 80, 87,
98-9, loo, 104, 106, 108,
131-2, 147, 149, 152, 155,
176
Glacier, 275
Barrie, Sir J. M., letter to,
422-4
Barrier, Great Ice, 53 seq,, 90,
170, 203, 222, 224-5, 241,
243, 246, 260 seq., 294, 304,
305, 321, 377
Bay of Whales, 259-60
Beaumont, Admiral Sir Lewis,
^ 427
Beppo, pony, 5
Berlin, 17, 20
Bernacchi, Louis C, physicist,
27, 43, S3, 75, 85-6, 135,
147, 152, 156, 176
Birdie, dog, 108-9, 126
Birthday, celebrations of, 286-7
Biscay, Bay of, 32
Bismarck, dog, 108
Bjaaland, Olav Olavson, 383
Blanco, dog, 108
Blissett, A. H>, 132
Blwmrd, Th# f 80
Blossom, pony, 250
Blucher, pony, 248, 250, 358
433
434
INDEX
Bluff, The, 130
Camp, 250, 336
Boats, mishap to, 84 $5, I39
140
Bones, pony, 299, 308
Bonner, Charles, 38-9
Borchgrevink, 43
Boss, dog, 108
Bowers, Lieut. H. R., 28, 208,
216, 224, 230-1, 234, 236,
243, 247, 249, 250-4, 261-
7, 270, 273, 275, 278-81,
283-4, 286, 289, 293-5,
299, 300-8, 311-14, 317, 319,
320, 322, 324-5, 334, 343-5,
352, 354, 357-8, 359, 3^4,
368, 371, 373 seq.
Bowers, Mrs., letter to, 421-2
Bridgeman, Admiral, Sir F. C,
letter to, 425
Britannia, The, 6
British Museum, the, 19
Brownie, dog, 100, 108-9
Browning, E. B., quoted, 328
Browning, Frank V., P.O., 209,
242
Bruce, Canon Lloyd, 207
Bruce, Kathleen, 207
Bruce, Lieut Wilfred M., 209,
224
Buckingham Palace Road, 15
Bulwark, H.M.S., 206
Burlington House, 19
Butter Point, 157, 260, 314
CAMPBELL, Lieut. Victor L. A.,
208, 216, 224, 226, 229, 232,
233, 238, 240-1, 242, 259-
60, 292, 315
Cape Adare, 42, 43, 45, 141
Armitage, 59, 225, 259, 263
Bernacchi, 315
Bird, 225
Crozier, 52, 61, 64, 69, 70,
105, 137, 141-2, 155-6, 176,
222-3, 28l
Crozier Party, 294, 300-7, 317
Evans, 225, 234-5, 239, 240,
260, 268, 271-3, 280, 300,
316-17, 321, 325, 328, 365
Cape Jones, 48
Mackay, 301
North, 146, 189, 196, 198,
260
of Good Hope, 32-3
Royds, 180, 185, 286
Sibbald, 49
Wadworth, 47
Washington, 49, 52
Cardiff, 207, 211
Castle Rock, 60, 62, 64, 65, 262,
273
Cheetham, Alfred B., boat-
swain, 209
Cherry- Garrard, Apsley, assist-
ant zoologist, 224, 236, 243,
251-2, 254-5, 257-8, 261-6,
270-1, 273, 279-81, 284,
288, 294, 300-7, 308, 318,
323, 329, 334, 340, 342, 344,
347, 352, 354, 362, 364, 411-
12, 418
Chinaman, pony, 308, 318, 329-
30, 332-3, 336, 338-9, 340-
41
Christiania, 89
Christopher, pony, 308-9, 318-
19, 320, 329, 333, 336, 342
Clarke, Charles, ship's cook,
179
Clissold, Thomas, cook, 209,
276, 278, 280, 286, 289,
29^, 319, 329
Coal, 46, 189, 194, 216, 218-19,
220
Colbeck, Captain William,
141-2, 143, 147, 182-3, 185,
I94 198
Coleridge, quoted, 211
Colville, Rear-Admiral, 206
Commonwealth Range, 357
Cook, Capt. James, 31
Corner Camp, 247, 261, 263,
270, 312, 314, 317, 372
Coulman Islands, 46, 47, 141
Crater Heights, 60, 234
Hill, 60, 69, 88
Crean, Thomas, P.O., 209, 237,
243, 246, 259, 261, 262-$
270, 273, 278-80, 285, 296,
INDEX
435
299, 308, 318, 321, 323, 344,
354, 364, 370-2
Cross, Jacob, P.O., 48, 103,
155-6
* Cruise of the Beagle,' 162
Cuts, pony, 262, 264
DAILEY, F. E., carpenter, 59,
153, 157
Darwin, Charles, 162
Day, Bernard C, motor en-
gineer, 208, 227, 236, 276-
7, 279, 290-1, 299, 318, 321,
323, 329, 33Q-I, 339, 340
Debenham, Frank, geologist,
208, 236, 242, 270, 273,281-
2, 283, 296, 325-6, 327
Dellbridge, James H., 2nd en-
gineer, 138
Islets, 178
Demetri, dog driver, 209, 276,
278-9, 289, 311, 329, 333,
354, 356, 372, 411, 418
Dennistoun, James R., 209
Depot Nunalak, 171
Desolation Camp, Discovery
Expedition, 163, 172
Last Expedition, 402
Dickason, Harry, A.B., 209, 242
Discovery, the fifth, 21
Dog food, 109
Dogs, 59, 71-2, 95-7, 107 seq. t
212-13, 2l8, 220, 228, 239,
241, 243 seq, t 270, 278, 285-
6, 311, 329, 333 seq. t 411
Douglas,^ Sir Archibald, |8
Drake, Francis R. H., assistant
paymaster, 209, 224
Dundee, 19, 20, 23
Shipbuilding Company, 17
EAST India Docks, 20
Edward VII, King, 3;
Egerton, Admiral Sir George,
K.GB., 15, 8x, 206, 425-6
(letter to)
Enderby Quadrant, 29
Entertainments, 85, 86, 87
Erebus Tongue, 315
Esquimault, B.C., n
Esquimaux, 301, 307
Evans, Lieut. E. R. G. R., 208,
215, 223-5, 232, 236, 242-3,
250, 258, 262, 311, 314, 317,
330-1, 337-40, 344, 354-5,
357-9, 361, 363, 364, 368,
370-2.
Evans, P.O., 63, 65, 67-8, 97,
105, 153, 157, 164, 165 seg.,
178-9, 209, 237, 242, 270,
273, 280, 285-6, 296, 308,
311-12, 317, 323-4, 326-7,
329, 337, 344, 352, 354-5,
364, 369
FALKLAND Islands, 199
Feather, Thomas A., boatswain,
loo-i, 157, 161, 162, 164-5
Fefer, 229
Ferrar, Hartley T., 27, 48, 67,
97, 103, 138, 157, 159, 163,
176
Glacier, 152-3, 154, 158-9,
314
Finance Committee, 17-18
Fire, alarm of, 32
Fisher, Admiral Sir John, 10
Fitzclarence, dog, 108
Football, 286, 325
Forcle, Robert, P.O., 209, 243,
248, 250, 258, 261, 270,
273, 279, 312, 314, 317,
326-7
Pram, the, 20, 21
Franklin Island, 141
Franz- Josef Land, 25
GAP, the, 60, 234
Gateway, the, 352
Geological specimens, 393-4,
398, 419 ^ _
Gerof, Deraetri, See Demetn
Glacier, the Bcardtnore, 312,
338-9, 341, 345, 340, 349,
352, 354 scq. f 392, 394
419-20
43
INDEX
Glacier Depot, 349, 352
Tongue, 225, 237, 239-41,
260, 274 276, 315-16, 324,
344
Gran Tryggve, ski expert, 208,
218, 236, 243, 246, 251, 254,
261-2, 263, 265, 267, 273,
295-6, 312, 314, 317, 327
Granite Harbour, 50, 51
Grannie, dog, 108
Gus, dog, 108, 125
HAAKON, King, 383
Hackenschmidt, pony, 276
Hall-Degree Depot, 387
Hamilton, B. T., 229
Hampton Court Palace, 207
Handsley, Jesse, A.B., 153, 157,
164-5, 175, 178-9
Hanson, 43
Hanssen, Hilmer, 383
Hare, 63, 65, 68-9
Hassel, Sverre H., 383
Heald, William L., A.B., 62,
IO3, 176, 2IO
Henley, W. E., quoted, 385
' Hints to Travellers/ 159-60
Hobart Town, 182
Hockey, 149
Hodgson, Thomas V., 25, 27,
147, 149, 154
Hooper, F. J., steward, 209,
276, 279, 280, 289, 339-40
Hoskins, Sir Anthony, 18
Hut, the Discovery, 59, 85-86,
87, 233, 239, 269 s*q. f 372
at Cape Evans, 227, 231,
234 s*q-> 275 W
Point, 60, 88, 186, 190-1,
233, 240, 242-3, 258, 260-3,
265, 267, 271, 279, 285,
311, 318, 324 327-9, 372,
411, 418
Hutton Rocks, 273
Huxley, quoted, 311
ICEBERGS, 44
JACKSON-HARMSWORTH Expedi-
tion, 25
Jehu, pony, 308, 318, 328-9,
. 330, 332-6, 338-9, 340
Jim, dog, 108-9, 125-6, 129
Joe, dog, 108
KENNAR, Thomas, P.O., 157,
159
Keohane, Patrick, P.O., 209,
243, 250, 258, 261, 273,
279, 296, 308, 320, 327, 329,
340, 344, 348, 354, 357, 362,
418
Kid, dog, 108-9, I2 5
King Edward's Island, 56, 203,
233, 242
Kmsey, J. J., letter to, 426-7
Kipling, Rudyard, quoted, 401
Koettlitz, Reginald, surgeon
and botanist, 25, 27, 61
seq., 78, 97, 138, 175
LANTARET, 229
Lashly, William, leading stoker,
97, 105, 153, 157, 162, 164,
105 seq., 178, 179, 209,
214, 276, 278-9, 299, 323,
331, 340, 344, 354-5, 364,
366-7, 369, 371-2
Lectures, 282, 287, 290, 307-8
Levick, G, Murray, surgeon,
R.N., 208, 242
Lewis, dog, 108-9, 126
Lillehammer, 229
Lillie, Denis G., biologist, 209,
240
London Docks, 31, 141
Lower Glacier Depot, 356, 398,
404
Lyttelton, 37-8, 211-12
Heads, 37, 199
MACARTNEY, Sir William Elli-
son, 427
Mackay, Captain Harry, 182,
INDEX
437
Macquarie Island, 36, 37, 185
Magnetic huts, 75
Observatory, 23
Magnetism, 75
Majestic, H.M.S., 15, 18, 26, 27
Markham, Sir Clements, 15, 16,
29, 30, 141, 203 seq. ) pref-
ace), 429
Markham, Lady, 20
McMurdo Sound, 51, 58, 138,
142, 194, 230, 237, 260
Meares, Cecil H., in charge of
dogs, 208, 218, 226, 232-4,
236, 239, 240, 242-4, 246-8,
251-2, 254-8, 261, 263, 265,
267, 273, 279, 285, 299,
311-12, 318-19, 327, 329,
333, 337, 354 356
Merchant Shipping Act, 28
Meridians, 217
Message to the public, 430-2
Meteorological observations, 74,
75, 83," 84
screens, 71, 74
Michael, pony, 308, 347
Middle Barrier Depot, 340, 405,
407
Midwinter celebrations, 2903
Milton, quoted, 254
Monument Rock, 400
Morning, the, 43, 53, 135, 141-6,
181 seq., 194, 198
Motor sledges, 212, 226-30, 290,
312-13, 318, 321, 326-7, 329-
30, 332
Mount Buckley, 393-4
Cloudmaker, 357-98
Darwin, 364, 390, 39*, 393
Discovery, 225
Erebus, 131, 235, 274 3*6
Hooper Depot, 410, 411
Hope, 346
Lon&staff, 122
Markham, 124
Melbourne, 49
Monteagle, 49
Murchison, 49
Sabine, 222
Terror, 303
Mount Whewell, 222
Mulock, Lieut. George F. A.,
27, 145, 149, 152, 176, 193,
195, 197
NAN SEN, Dr., 17, 19, 20, 89
Naval Discipline Act, 28
Nell, dog, 101, 108-9, 125-6, 129
Nelson, Edward W., biologist,
208, 224, 227, 236, 276-7,
279, 287, 319-20
Newbolt, Henry, quoted, 31
New Harbour, 153, 157, 315
Newnes, Sir George, 43
New Zealand, 23, 37, 38, 199, 211
New Zealand, Government of,
207
Nigger, dog, 101, 108-9, 125-6,
129
Nobby, pony, 262, 268, 308, 325,
342-3, 351, 353
Northern Party 233, 242-3
Norway, 17, 89
Norwegians, the, 384-5
GATES, Capt. Lawrence, E.G.,
208, 213, 220, 226, 236,
239-40, 241, 243, 24B-9,
252, 254, 261-2, 263, 265,
267, 270, 273, 279-80,
284-5, 299, 308, 318-20,
321, 333, 336"7, 343-4, 35*,
354-5, 364, 373 seq.
Outlands, 2, 5
Observatory Hill, 60, 134, 234
Oil, shortage of, 404-5, 408,
411, 416
4 Old Mooney/ 6, 8, 9
Omelchenko, Anton. See Anton
One Ton Camp, 253, 317, 326-7,
371, 410-11, 412, 415, 417
Osman, dog, 255-6
P. AND O. Company, 25
Pack-ice, 35 se<2 44, 49, 5*
196, 216-17, 218
Parry Mountains, 54
Peary, Lieutenant, 28
438
INDEX
Penguins, 36, 40, 148, 180, 226
Emperor, 106, 137, 153, ISS,
223, 294, 302, 305
King, 36
Pennell, Lieut. H. L. L., 209,
224, 230, 238
Petrels, 35
Antarctic, 40
Giant, 40
Southern Fulmar, 40
White Snow, 40
Wilson stormy, 35
Pigg, James, pony, 250, 258,
261, 263, 268, 308, 318, 329,
340, 342
Plumley, Frank, stoker, 62, 157
Pole, the South, 382 seq.
Camp, 384
Ponies, the, 212-15, 220, 226,
239, 241, 243 seq., 263-7,
285-6, 312, 318, 332 seq.
Pontmg, Herbert G., camera
artist, 208, 219, 227-8, 236,
276-7, 282, 284, 292, 314,
319, 327, 329
Port Chalmers, 38, 39, 76, 212
Ross, 195
Stanley, 199
Possession Islands, 141
Pram Point, 263, 269
Bay, 269
Ridges, 267
President, H.M.S., 206
Pressure Ridges, 319
Priestley, Raymond E., geolo-
gist, 208, 223, 242, 260
Provei'bs, quoted, 137
Punch, pony, 262, 266
QUARTLEY, Arthur L., leading
stoker, 63, 65, 67-8, 105, 175
RAZOR Back Islands, 240, 274
Rennick, Lieut. Henry E. de
P., 209, 224
Roberston Bay, 42, 195
Rodd, Sir Rennell, quoted, 231
Ross, Sir James, 31, 40, 46, 54-
& 196-7
Ross Harbour, 198
Island, 176, 203, 239
Quadrant, 29
Sea, 216
Rover, H.M.S., 10
Royal Geographical Society, 17
Royal Society, 17
Royds, Lieut. Charles W. R. s
18, 26, 53, 61 seq., 74-5, 78,
85-7, 97, 105, 132, 137, 139,
147, 149, 155, 176
Russell Islands, 197
SAFETY CAMP, 243-4, 245-6,
254, 258-9, 261-2, 263, 265,
329-30
San Francisco, n
S a wing-camp, 175, 178-9
Saxon, S.S., 207
Scamp, dog, 37
Scott, John Edward, I
Scott, Lady, extracts from let-
ters Jo, 427, 428, 429, et
passim
Scott, Mrs., extract from letter
to, 427
Scott of Brownhead, i
Scott, Peter Markham, 207
Scurvy, 103-4, 1*7, 129, 134,
144, 148, 371
Sea leopard, 41
elephant 185
Seals, 41, 48, 269, 279
crab-eater, 41
Ross, 41
Shackleton, Sir Ernest H, 27,
79, 98, 107 seq., 143, 145,
233, 344, 352, 357, 37O, 37^,
375
Shackleton's hut, 286
Shakespeare, quoted , 95, 120,
294, 354
Shambles Camp, 353, 401
Shelley, quoted, 74, 167
Ship Committee, 17, 20, 23
Simon's Bay, 32, 33
Simpson, George C, Meteorol-
ogist, 208, 231, 236, 277,
281-2, 283, 312, 316
INDEX
439
Skelton, Lieut. Reginald W.,
1 8, 27, 60 seq., 85-6, 105,
135, 138, 147-8, 153, 162,
164-5, 176, 191-3, 229
Ski, 19, 60, 61, 130, 173, 246,
340, 354-5, 358, 360, 370,
375, 386, 388, 390
Ski-shoes, 361
Skua gulls, 40, 148, Tgo
Skuary, the, 225
Sledge equipment, 89, 151, 312
Sledges, 91, 92, 279 280, 370
Sleeping-bags, 304, 306, 307,.
* 388
Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Reginald,
427
Smith's Inlet, 260
Snatcher, dog, 108, 115
pony, 308, 325, 329, 352
Snippets, pony, 308-9, 328, 332,
^ 341, 343 r
Snow-shoes, for ponies, 245,
247, 308, 352
South Africa, Government of,
207
Southern Barrier Depot, 342
Road, the, 239-40
South Polar Times, Discovery
Expedition, 79-80
Last Expedition, 281, 290-1,
373
Spenser, quoted, 52
Speyer, Sir Edgar, letter to,
424
Spud, dog, 108-9, H5
Stareck, dog, 244-5
Stoke Damercl, 5
Stripes, dog, 108
Stubbington House, Fareham, 5
Sturge Island, 197
Sun, eclipse of, 156
Sverdrup's * New Land/ 295
TAYLOR, T. Griffith, geologist,
208, 223, 236, 242, 270,
273-4 281-2, 283, 287, 291,
327
Telephone, the, 318-19
Tent, double, 295
Tent, Island, 297, 325
Islet, 184
Terra Nova, Discovery Expe-
dition, 182-3, 187 seq. f 194,
198
Last Expedition, 207, 211,
220, 237, 292, 324, 372
Thermometer, minimum, 253,
337
Thomson, Sir Courtauld, n
Three Degree Depot, 370, 385-
6, 387, 389, 404
Transport, 312, 345
Turtle Back Island, 271
UNCLE BILL, pony, 262-3
Uniform overcoat, 309
Union Jack, the, 235, 291, 384,
428-9
Upper Glacier Depot, 390, 392,
404
Vic, dog, . 108
Victor, pony, 308-9, 325, 334,
343
Victoria, B.C., n
Land, 42, 76, 138, 167, 176,
196, 203, 233, 260
Quadrant, 29
Victorious, H.M.S., 206
Vince, A. B,, 63, 66-9, 190, 234
WEARY Willy, pony, 245, 251,
261-3
Wcddcll Quadrant, 29
Weller, William J., A.B,, 48, 62,
157
Western Geological Party (i),
242, 260, 270
(2) 317, 325, 327
Western Mountains, 312, 325
Whales, killer, 227-8
White Island, 134, 261, 264
Wild, Frank, 62-3, 66, 67, 97,
105, 344
Wilkes, Commodore, 197
, 198
440
INDEX
Williams, William, engineer,
209, 214
Williamson, Thomas S., P.O.,
157, 209, 229
Wilson, Dr, E. A., chief, the
scientific staff (Last Ex-
pedition), zoologist, S, 26-
8, 35-6, 48-9, 53 75~6, 80,
103, 107 seq. f 143-4, *47,
153, 155-6, 176, 180-1,
185, 195, 208, 219-20, 223,
225, 231, 236, 240, 242-4,
246-8, 254-6, 258, 261, 263,
265, 267, 269-70, 272-3,
279-80, 282-3, 286, 289,
294 300-7, 308, 318-19,
321-2, 324-S, 329, 335,
344, 351, 353-5, 361, 364,
372 seq.
Wilson, Mrs., letter to, 421
Winter Quarter Bay, 60
Wisting, Oscar, 383
Wolf, dog, 108-9
Wolseley Motor Company, 229
Wood Bay, 49, 50, 141
Wright, Charles S , physicist,
208, 224, 231, 236, 242,
270, 280, 283, 308, 314, 321,
329, 335, 340, 344, 354-5*
362
114904